RideFast Magazine March 2020

MARCH 2020 

NEW 

BIKE 

BUYER’S 

GUIDE 

MARCH 2020 RSA R35.00 

20003 

9 772075 405004 

Pic by 

EXCLUSIVE SA TEST 

SPEED FREAKS 

The all-new BMW S1000RR has arrived in SA 

and we test two very special editions. 

F I R S T L O O K 

DUCATI 

F I R S T L O O K 

SUPERLEGGERA 

V4 

230HP 

159KG DRY 

R1.6M 

One of the most outrageous 

production motorcycles in history. 

W O R L D L A U N C H 

HONDA 

CBR1000RR-R 

All you’ve ever wanted from a 

Honda superbike and more. 

MORE WORLD LAUNCH TESTS: BMW F900XR & R | 2020 KAWASAKI Z H2 

W O R L D 

L A U N C H 

KTM 1290 

SUPERDUKE R 

Fast Facts about the Austrian Beast 3.0 

R I D E R F E A T U R E 

HOW TO GET 

MOTOGP READY? 

Brad Binder tells us about three ways in which 

he’ll get set for the challenge…

K&N Style Filters 

Available sizes 28, 35, 39, 42, 48, 

52, 54 and 60mm R125.00 

8000Ma 

Jump Starter & Power Bank R1299.00 

18L / min 

RAC610 Inflator R449.00 RTG5 Gauge R249.00 

Bike and ATV Covers 

Available sizes S - XL 

From R270.00 

Ring Globes 

H7 150% Power R330.00 

H4 150% Power R290.00 

EMGO Top Box 

R990.00 

DESCRIPTION PART NO. SRP Inc. Vat 

SMART CHARGER 1 AMP DFC150 R599.00 

SMART CHARGER 3.5 AMP DFC530 R899.00 

SMART CHARGER 4 AMP PSA004 R999.00 

SMART CHARGER 8 AMP PSA008 R1349.00 

SMART CHARGER 4 AMP PSD004 R1199.00 

SMART CHARGER 8 AMP PSD008 R1499.00 

Rim Locks Front and Rear 

From R48.00 

ANOTHER MOTOGP RIDER JOINS THE TEAM. 

WELCOME BRAD BINDER. 

R110.00 R465.00 

Tubeless Puncture Kits 

License Disc Holders 

R168.00 

Bar Ends 

R100.00 

PBA DEALER LISTING 

PBA DEALER LISTING 

PART NO. DESCRIPTION PRICE 

50081406/L CARB CLEANER 400ML 50.00 

50201414/L TERMINAL PROTECT RED 50.00 

50201415/L TERMINAL PROTECT BLUE 50.00 

Hand Guards 

50320400/L BRK,CLTCH,CHAIN CLEANER 44.00 

50500192/L CHAIN LUBE 150ML 34.00 

50500193/L CHAIN LUBE 400ML 69.00 

WIN A 

50510403/L CHAIN WAX 400ML 71.00 

Jerry Cans 

50510404/L CHAIN WAX 150ML 34.00 

From R450.00 

51528262/L PETROL INJECTOR CLEANER 10.00 

53203200/L AIR FILTER SPRAY 55.00 

BRAND NEW HJC RPHA 11 53203500/L AIR FILTER OIL 500ML 55.00 

VERMO HELMET SIGNED BY 53204005/L BIO FILTER CLEANER 5l 325.00 

53204400/L BIO FILTER CLEANER 400ML 47.00 

BRAD BINDER 53780300/L SPARK 300ML 44.00 

TO ENTER, GO LIKE OUR POWERED BY AUTOCYCLE 55000314/L TYRE FIX 200ML 45.00 

FACEBOOK PAGE & POST A PIC OF YOU AND YOUR 56000001/L FORK OIL SYN 5W 125.00 

HJC HELMET. THE BEST PIC WILL WIN THE PRIZE! 

ENTRIES CLOSE 31ST APRIL 2020. 56000002/L FORK OIL SYN 10W 125.00 

T&C’S APPLY 

Fork Boots 

56000003/L FORK OIL SYN 2.5W 135.00 

PoweredByAutocycle from R120.00 powered_by_autocycle 

56000400/L MOUSSE LUBRICANT 100.00 

Various Colours available 

ABS Plastic R470.00 

Alloy R990.00 

Scooter V Belts 

From R110.00 

Tyre Levers 

From R95.00 

GAUTENG 

ZEEMANS GAUTENG MOTORCYCLES 011 435 7177 

BIKING ZEEMANS ACCESSORIES MOTORCYCLES 012 011 435 342 7177 7474 

FAST BIKING KTM ACCESSORIES 011 012 867 342 0092 7474 

GAME FAST KTM MOTOR SERVICES 011 849 867 7000 0092 

MOTO-MATE GAME MOTOR RIVONIA SERVICES 011 234 849 5275 7000 

MOTO-MATE EDENVALE RIVONIA 011 234 027 5275 0545 

MOTO-MATE KCR MOTORCYCLE EDENVALE FANATIX 011 975 027 5405 0545 

PRIMROSE JUST BIKING MOTORCYCLES 011 016 828 421 9091 1153 

RANDBURG KCR MOTORCYCLE MOTORCYCLES FANATIX 011 792 975 6829 5405 

OFF-ROAD CYCLES 012 333 6443 

PRIMROSE MOTORCYCLES 011 828 9091 

MPUMALANGA 

RANDBURG MOTORCYCLES 

BIKE CITY 

011 792 6829 

013 244 2143 

MPUMALANGA 

BIKE CITY 013 244 2143 

NORTHWEST 

NORTHWEST 

BIKERS PARADISE 018 297 4700 

BIKERS INSANE PARADISE BIKERS 018 014 297 594 4700 2111 

INSANE MOTOS @ BIKERS KLERKSDORP 014 018 594 468 2111 1800 

MOTOS WATER RITE @ KLERKSDORP MOTORCYCLES 018 468 771 1800 5050 

WATER RITE MOTORCYCLES 018 771 5050 

LIMPOPO 

LIMPOPO K.R.MOTORCYCLES 015 297 3291 

K.R.MOTORCYCLES 015 297 3291 

KZN 

ROCKET RACING PINETOWN 031 702 2606 

PERRY’S M/CYCLES BALITO 031 110 0056 

ROCKET RACING MARITZBURG 033 264 3240 

ROCKET RACING PINETOWN 031 702 2606 

RBS YAMAHA 031 701 1311 

ROCKET RACING MARITZBURG 033 264 3240 

UMPLEBY SUZUKI 031 303 8323 

RBS YAMAHA 031 701 1311 

UMPLEBY SUZUKI 031 303 8323 

RIDE HIGH WITH YAMAHA 035 789 1851 

RIDE PERRY HIGH M/CYCLES WITH YAMAHA GLEN ANIL 035 031 789 566 1851 7411 

PERRY’S M/CYCLES UMHLANGA 031 566 7411 

CAPE PERRY’S PROVINCE M/CYCLES HILLCREST 

CRAIGS M/CYCLE FITMENT 

031 765 2560 

021 939 8944 

TRAC-MAC CAPE PROVINCE BELVILLE 021 945 3724 

TRAC-MAC CRAIGS M/CYCLE PAARDEN-EILAND FITMENT 021 510 939 2258 8944 

TRAC-MAC WYNBURG 

BELVILLE 021 761 945 4220 3724 

NEVES TRAC-MAC MOTORCYCLE PAARDEN-EILAND WORLD CC 021 930 510 5917 2258 

WICKED TRAC-MAC CYCLES WYNBURG 021 510 761 2968 4220 

MIKE HOPKINS MOTORCYCLES 021 461 5167 

NEVES FREESTATE MOTORCYCLE WORLD CC 

SALLEYS YAMAHA 

FREESTATE 

021 930 5917 

051 430 3326 

SALLEYS YAMAHA 051 430 3326

DON’T 

JUST PLAY 

THE GAME. 

OWN IT! 

The new 2020 Yamaha R1 

takes double win on debut 

with David McFadden at 

round one of the National 

Superbike Championship. 

www.yamaha.co.za • +27 11 259 7600 • Facebook: Yamaha Southern Africa • Instagram: YamahaMoto_SA • YouTube: YamahaMoto_SA

ED’S NOTES: TALKING MOTOGP 

Our most powerful 

issue ever! 

For sure we’ve had a lot of powerful 

issues over the years but with all 

the bikes we have featured in this 

issue makes it by far one of our 

most powerful yet – over 1500 

horse power of pure biking pleasure 

featured in this issue! Never before 

have we featured so many world 

launch tests and the fact that we 

had one of our record months in 

advertising we were able to bring 

you a packed 96-page power issue! 

Big thanks to all our advertisers for 

sticking by us and supporting even 

in these tough times. It’s times like 

these we all have to stick together 

and help each other grow and that’s 

exactly what we are doing and we 

are reaping the rewards of all the 

hard work put in. So please, I have 

said it before and I’ll say it again, 

please take advantage and use all 

the advertisers in this mag, as they 

are the ones who ultimately make it 

all possible. 

Talking MotoGP 

After my latest Talking MotoGP 

podcast featuring Don Fourie I got 

thinking about the whole Lorenzo 

signing as the official Yamaha 

test rider thing. He announced his 

retirement at the final Valencia race 

last year, pretty much down to all 

his injuries and hating life at Repsol 

Honda. It didn’t take too long for 

Lorenzo to be back in the paddock 

as he was announced as the official 

test rider going forward for Yamaha. 

I can’t help but think how Honda felt 

about this? Were they upset? Were 

they angry after Lorenzo cut his time 

with them short by a whole year? 

Here he was saying his body and 

mind were over it all and then bang 

here he is all of a sudden, a MotoGP 

test rider for one of their biggest 

rivals, potentially using whatever 

data he gained whilst with them to 

help develop a machine to try and 

dethrone them. 

As Don said in the podcast it was 

a brilliant piece of business by Lin 

Jarvis and Yamaha to get Lorenzo. 

Not only are they getting a 5-time 

champ back and one of their 

favoured sons but also a rider that 

now has experience with riding two 

of their main oppositions machines 

– Ducati and Honda. Lorenzo rolled 

out in his new test rider roll at 

the Sepang test and looked quick 

from the work go. All of a sudden 

that Honda limp and sore back 

were gone, and the well-known 

big Yamaha smile was back on the 

Spaniard’s face. Was the retirement 

all a ploy to simply get out of his 

Honda deal? Or will he genuinely be 

not racing and just focusing on being 

a test rider? Since the test rumours 

have surfaced that he will be 

wildcarding at the Catalunya round 

this year and there is even talks of 

a Rossi/Lorenzo partnership at the 

SRT Petronas Yamaha team. The 

team themselves have come out and 

said that would be very complicated 

to pull off but they can dream… can 

you just imagine, Rossi and Lorenzo 

on satellite Yamaha’s… Hmmmm, 

don’t know how satellite those bikes 

would be if it did happen. 

Good business or 

bad business 

So, heading up to the Sepang test 

news broke that Yamaha not only 

managed to re-sign Maverick 

Vinales for two more years but also 

snap up the rookie sensation from 

2019 Mr. Fabio Quatararo, leaving 

a certain Mr. Rossi out in the cold. 

Well, not exactly. Rossi knows the 

game all too well and in my mind 

did the right thing by not getting in 

Yamaha’s way wanting to sign Fabio 

before they lost him to rival teams. 

Rossi had/has not yet confirmed 

his plans for the future but has not 

ruled out the so-called move to 

the SRT Petronas team. As I said 

earlier we will have to wait and see 

what happens with that but at the 

moment the only real option for 

Rossi if he does want to continue 

is the satellite team, but again, as I 

said, no doubt it won’t be a satellite 

bike he will be on. Don makes a very 

good point of this all in our recent 

podcast so go check it out on the 

RideFast channel if you have not 

already done so. 

It really was a great piece of 

business by Lin Jarvis to hold onto 

Maverick, who looked at one stage 

certain move over to Ducati, and 

then also to snatch up one of the 

hottest properties in MotoGP right 

now, Fabio. That’s them sorted for 

the next few years at least and 

can now focus on trying to build 

something around them rather can 

keeping Vale happy. It’s time now 

for Vinales to step up to the plate 

because no doubt he is going to be 

their number one man but he has to 

prove that he is the man, but in the 

same breath they have a weapon 

in Fabio that cannot be ignored so 

it’s back to the good old days of 

having two serious title contenders. 

Of course, we are getting ahead of 

ourselves just a bit as for 2020 it’s 

Vinales and Rossi on the factory 

bikes with Fabio also now getting 

the factory treatment but still in 

Petronas colours. Can Fabio be a 

serious title contender this year? 

Can Rossi win title number 10? 

Can Vinales finally be a serious 

challenger week in week out? And 

can Yamaha finally get one over 

Honda and Marquez? Oooooohhhh, 

too much excitement!!!! 

What now Ducati? 

Big rumours last year were that 

Ducati were ready to break the 

bank to secure Vinales and Fabio 

as their two main challenges for 

the 2021 season. Well, that’s all 

now gone out the window and both 

riders have committed for now to 

Yamaha. I’ve just finishing watching 

a great documentary by RedBull TV 

on Dovi called “Andrea Dovizioso 

Undaunted”. It was an awesome 

documentary going behind the 

scenes in a big way showing 

the struggles that not only Dovi 

goes through but also the Ducati 

MotoGP team. It’s very clear that 

Dovi and Ducati’s main aim is to 

beat Marquez, and this in my view 

is their biggest handicap. It seems 

they are so focused on Marquez that 

they lose focus and clarity in other 

areas. I love Dovi and know what a 

great rider he is and Gigi also says 

in the short film that Dovi is one of 

the greatest riders he has ever seen 

but he needs to start believing it as 

well. So true, and it also shows how 

Marquez has got in the mind of not 

only Dovi but all the other riders with 

some of the things he does and is 

able to do. Marquez is seriously fast, 

we know this, but so are all the other 

riders but it’s not just being fast and 

talented where Marc beats them it’s 

more mental to me, he has them all 

beat before they even go on track in 

many ways. That’s something that 

a lot of them, Dovi, Fabio, Vinales, 

have to focus on rather than trying 

to make their bikes better etc. The 

Honda is by no means the best bike 

out there but Marc gets the best out 

of it and commits fully, something 

the others don’t fully do in my mind. 

Back to the problem of what now for 

Ducati? Who do they turn to after the 

2020 season? Do they still stick with 

Dovi, who they have relied on and 

has not yet delivered and I can’t see 

him doing so, 2017 and 18 to me were 

his best shots. Can Petrucci improve 

enough over 2020 to become a 

serious contender? I can’t see that 

happening. So, who do they turn to? 

Jack Miller for sure is the first name 

that comes to mind to take one of 

those factory seats. He has done 

enough in my mind but just needs 

to iron out one or two bad habits he 

still has, but we all forget he is still 

young and has time to do so. No 

doubt 2020 is a big year for him. If he 

can get results and be there weekin-week-out 

then for sure the ride is 

his, especially with the pot looking 

empty now for Ducati. 

There has now been talks that if 

Scott Redding can bring the World 

SBK title back to Bologna then he 

will be considered for the factory 

seat. Whether or not he will go back 

to MotoGP is another question, 

especially after all he has had to 

say about the championship after 

leaving a few years back. 

Who else can they look at? Can 

Bagnaia become all that has been 

promised in MotoGP? Or is a certain 

Mr. Brad Binder on their radar? Then 

there is the likes of Jorge Martin and 

Luca Marini coming from Moto2, but 

surely they won’t get factory Ducati 

seats straight off the bat? I know 

Brad is for sure a big target for many 

in the MotoGP paddock and now 

that the KTM machine seems to be 

getting more and more competitive 

and if Brad can pull off a Rookie of 

the Year season then we could very 

well see him spawn the famous red 

colours of the factory Ducati team. 

Whatever happens MotoGP 

continues to keep us on our toes 

with excitement and drama a 

plenty so we will have to wait and 

see what happens. For now, all we 

can do is sit back and enjoy what 

is no doubt going to be another 

epic season in MotoGP, some a bit 

closer to the action than others, as 

I get myself ready to board a plan 

to Qatar for the season opener and 

be proudly side-by-side showing 

my support for our two heroes 

Brad and Darryn Binder. 

Yes, I know, you hate me, 

but make sure you pay 

careful attention to what’s 

in the mag because there is 

a couple of great MotoGP 

offerings that need to 

be looked at if you are 

serious about 

going over and 

witnessing 

the greatest 

sport on 

earth in 

the flesh. 

Look out 

for MotoGP 

Misano and 

Mugello 

packages 

being offered 

in this issue. 

Until next time I hope 

you all have a great 

month and enjoy the 

issue we have waiting 

for you. Cheers, Rob. 

EDITOR & DESIGNER: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

PUBLISHER: 

Glenn Foley 

foleyg@mweb.co.za 

ADVERTISING: 

Sean Hendley 

bestbikemagazines 

@yahoo.com 

071 684 4546 

OFFICE & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@ 

mweb.co.za 

011 979 5035 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Sheridan Morais 

Brad Binder 

Darryn Binder 

Gerrit Erasmus 

Eugene Liebenberg 

Niel Philipson 

Greg Moloney 

Daniella Kerby 

Keith Botha 

Brian Cheyne 

Donovan Fourie 

Shaun Portman 

Mat Durrans 

Copyright © RideFast Magazine: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, 

or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, articles, or other methods, without the 

prior written permission of the publisher.

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! 

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. 

Photo: R. Schedl 

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R 

THE BEAST 3.0 

Having shed its skin, the KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R is now a leaner, meaner 

and an even more menacing hyper-naked bike than ever before. Mounted 

into an all-new chassis, beats an up dated version of the renowned 75 

degree, 1301 cc LC8, V-Twin heart, taking THE BEAST to the next level. 

Phone 011 462 7796 for your nearest KTM dealer.

ducati.com 

Official Sponsor 

Developed with 

Powered by 

SUPERSPORT 

Sport, made light. 

The SuperSport blends comfort with versatility thanks to solutions that make it perfect for everyday road 

riding – but without ever compromising its sporting spirit: also available in the new color Titanium Grey. 

Priced from R195,200. 

Tel: 012 765 0600. Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion.

EXCLUSIVE DEALS 

ON THE NEW RANGE 

OF AGV HELMETS. 

AGV K-3 BIRDY 

R4320 

AGV K-3 LIQUEFY 

R4320 

AGV K-3 ROSSI 5 

CONTINENTS R4820 

AGV K-3 ROSSI 

TARTARUGA R4820 

AGV K-3 ROSSI 

MISANO R4820 

AGV K-3 ROSSI 

WINTER TEST R4820 

AGV K-3 SAKURA 

R4320 

AGV K-1 POWER 

R3490 

AGV K-1 POWER 

R3490 

AGV K-1 MIR 

R4150 

AGV K-1 ROSSI GOTHIC 

R4150 

AGV K-1 ROSSI GOTHIC 

R3490 

EXCLUSIVE DEALS 

ON THE RANGE OF 

SCORPION HELMETS. 

SCORPION EXO-490 

VISION R3500 


GENESIS R3500 

SCORPION R1 AIR 

BAUTISTA REPLICA 

R9180 


AIR BAUTISTA REPLICA 

R8200 


BRUTUS R8200 


CARBON R7500 


ARMY R2600 

COME VISIT OUR 3 FLOORS OF 

PURE MOTORCYCLING PLEASURE! 

Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & 

John Voster Drive, Centurion. 

Tel: 012 765 0600

All the NEWS proudly brought 

to you by HJC HELMETS 

POWER-TO-WEIGHT 

JUGGERNAUT 

DUCATI’S WILD, WINGED SUPERLEGGERA V4 

One horsepower per 

kilogram: it’s the kind of 

power-to-weight ratio you 

only see in the world’s most 

exclusive multi-million 

dollar hypercars. But at 231 

hp and 152 kg, the Ducati 

Superleggera V4 absolutely 

obliterates that figure, 

making 1.54 hp/kg. 

This, mind you, is with a fancy racing 

kit and its titanium Akrapovic exhaust 

fitted. Out of the box (although the 

racing kit does come in the box), you’ll 

have to make do with a paltry 221 

fully road-legal horsepower and a 

positively corpulent 159 kg. Thumbing 

through the regulations for World 

Superbike production-based racing, it 

appears the rules require WSBK bikes 

to weigh at least 168 kg. So there’s a 

genuine chance this one might not 

stick to the ground, and could float 

you away over the treetops. 

Superleggera is Italian for 

“Reallylight,” and Ducati has used 

this designation before for specialedition 

superbikes that are tuned to 

the eyeballs and shaved to the last 

gram for weight savings. This new 

V4 would instantly become the #1 

machine kids would pin up on their 

bedroom walls, if touchscreens 

hadn’t been invented and kids 

gave a single, solitary toss about 

motorcycles any more. 

The entire load-bearing structure of 

the chassis is made from carbon or 

composites – the frame, the subframe, 

the wheels ... even the swingarm is an 

elaborate carbon construction that 

looks like you could pick it up with one 

finger. All the bodywork is carbon, too, 

much of it finished raw so you can see 

the weave. 

At this point, we have to discuss the 

hideous wings sprouting from the side 

fairings. Ducati calls them “biplane 

airfoils” and proudly boasts they 

give you 50 kg of downforce at 270 

km/h, helping to keep the nose down 

under high-speed acceleration, and 

6 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH 2020

ENGINE 

998CC 

Desmo Stradale 

90º V4, 4 valves 

per cylinder, LC 

POWER 

224 

HP @ 15,250RPM 

TORQUE 

116 

NM @ 11,750RPM 

WEIGHT 

159 

DRY WEIGHT 

KG 

squashing the front wheel down for extra 

traction when you’re braking at the end of 

a straight. Fine, if you’re riding this thing 

on the track, keep the wings on. On the 

road, they just make a beautiful bike look 

profoundly silly, and they don’t even look 

like you could rest your legs on them on 

the highway. 

The motor is the Desmosedici Stradale 

V4 R – the 998cc one instead of the 

1,103cc unit that graces the standard 

Panigale. Why? It weighs less. It doesn’t 

seem to be lacking in power, either. And 

yes, that’s an open clutch cover. This 

thing will rattle like a tambourine at 

idle, like all Ducatis should. 

You wouldn’t expect Ducati to skimp on 

chassis componentry, so the combination 

of top-shelf Brembo and Ohlins gear is no 

surprise. Brakes are exclusive variants of 

the Stylema R series, and the suspension 

“The new Ducati 

Superleggera V4 is one 

of the most outrageous 

production motorcycles 

in history.” 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 7



has been chosen for its light 

weight, including a titanium 

spring on the shock, GP-derived 

valving and a pressurized fork. 

The dash and electronics are very 

track-focused, to the point where 

Ducati has called in MotoGP 

luminary Andrea Dovizioso to 

help design the raciest dash 

layout. Riding modes have gone 

nuts, with new Race A and Race 

B modes, as well as five custom 

modes you can set and save 

yourself. What’s more, you can 

save up to five favorite racetracks 

into the bike’s memory, so you 

can look back over your lap times 

and splits historically and record 

new ones. 

As one of the most outrageous 

and desirable machines 

currently in production, the 

Superleggera V4 will be 

extremely expensive, priced 

at R1.6m and limited to 500 

units worldwide. Due to the 

complexity of the parts, Ducati’s 

only committing to making five a 

day, but it says all orders should 

be fulfilled within 2020. If you 

want, and why wouldn’t you, you 

can get it with a special carbon 

helmet and Superleggerabranded 

airbag-equipped 

leathers from Dainese. 

The price will include a chance 

to ride Ducati’s Panigale V4 

R superbike at Mugello, and 

there’s also 30 spots available if 

you want to upgrade that to go 

and ride Dovizioso or Petrucci’s 

MotoGP bike. And folks, as much 

as riding this Superleggera 

V4 would be an unforgettable 

experience, slinging a leg over 

a Desmosedici GP20 is the kind 

of thing that only happens in 

the moistest of motorcycling 

dreams. What a wonderful 

world we live in, if you’ve got a 

ton of money. 




SMG MOTORRAD UMHLANGA 

Here is a dealership that is just growing 

from strength to strength. We first met 

them in 2012 when they were based in 

Mt. Edgecombe, they then moved into 

bigger and nicer premises in Umhlanga 

Ridge for a year or three or four. Most 

recently, they have just had a bespoke 

dealership built on the edge of Umhlanga 

Ridge overlooking Umhlanga Rocks and 

the Ocean on Umhlanga Rocks drive at 

the corner of Ncondo Place in the all new 

Umhlanga Arch. 

Besides a view to linger at, the new SMG 

dealership sports a very nice high end 

coffee shop with really great coffee and 

baked goods to give you even more reason 

to linger longer at the view. As is the norm 

with most Motorrad dealerships these days, 

they are integrated with Auto. However, the 

Motorrad side is not tucked away in the back 

somewhere as an afterthought but rather 

stand shoulder to shoulder with the Auto 

side. And, it goes without saying they are 

well stocked with all the latest and greatest 

from BMW including every conceivable 

accessory, gear and go faster bits. Their 

workshop has a reputation for being 

staffed by highly qualified, professional 

and passionate technicians delivering high 

quality workmanship. The guys on the sales 

floor are equally well versed on all things 

Motorrad and are all passionate BMW 

owners and riders themselves, regularly 

organising trips up to Phakisa for track days 

with the crowd from Track-Daze, with whom 

they have been associated with for the past 

two-years now, they also often do breakfast 

runs out to beautiful spots like the famous 

Valley of a Thousand hills and etc. 

Motorrad manager, Colin Mackrory and 

the sales team always try to make it as 

easy as possible to get your leg over a 

new or even one of their pre-loved BMW’s. 

The Big Guy looking after all your After 

Sales requirements is Phil Marx, (dad to 

our legendary Springbok hooker Malcolm 

Marx), and he can get you really sorted with 

a bevy of cool gadgets, your next service, 

tyres and anything else biking related you 

might need. And, as if those weren’t enough 

reasons to get excited about SMG Motorrad, 

they also have a second dealership with 

even more stock based up on the north 

coast in Richards Bay. 

Give them a call on 031 502 9800, 

(Umhlanga), or 035 426 0020, (North 

Coast) or drop in at Umhlanga Arch, 1 

Ncondo place (cnr Umhlanga Rocks drive), 

Umhlanga Ridge or 2 Bauxite Bay, Alton, 

Richards Bay for a chat and a cup of really 

great coffee and a muffin. 

A really nice place to hang out and 

get an excellent cup of coffee. 

Phil Marx, (yup .. that’s Malcolms dad), he 

loves his vocation in life almost as much 

as he loves watching his lad play rugby. 

Colin Mackrory, the man at the helm. 

He is very passionate about the BMW 

brand as you can see below. 

A stunning showroom floor with 

everything BMW Motorrad. 

A full range of original BMW Motorrad 

riding apparel and merchandise. 

Colin on his brand new BMW S 1000 RR 

machine at the recent Track-Daze event 

held at Phakisa. 


Now available for 

R77,999.00 

Offer subject to stock availability. 

CRF250 RALLY 

Unlock new 

opportunities 

The CRF250 Rally covers many bases. 

It can slip through congested city traffic 

easily thanks to its slim proportions, but is 

also tough enough to take on rough tarmac 

and trails. Purchase this model, and enjoy 

free rider training and roadside assist. Find 

a dealer and book a test ride now! 

Visit your nearest Honda Dealer for full range: 

JHB: Honda Wing East Rand Mall: 011 826-4444 / Honda Wing Sandton: 011 540-3000 / Honda Wing Westrand: 011 675-3222 PTA: Honda Wing Centurion: 012 663-8718 

Honda Wing Menlyn: 012 470-92000 VAAL: Honda Wing Riverside: 087 751-4023 KLERKSDORP: Honda Wing Klerksdorp: 018 468-1800 

LIMPOPO: Honda Wing Thabazimbi: 014 777 1593 / Honda Wing Polokwane: 015 297-3291 PIETERMARITZSBURG: Honda Wing PMB: 033 345-628 

FREE STATE: Honda Wing Central: 051 430-1237 / Honda Wing Bethlehem: 058 303-4864 NELSPRUIT: Honda Wing Nelspruit: 013 753-7324 KZN: Honda Wing Umhlanga: 031 580-7900 

UPINTON: Honda Wing Upinton: 054 332-7759 RICHARDS BAY: Honda Wing Richards Bay: 035 789-6378 GEORGE: Honda Wing George: 044 874-5435 

CPT: Honda Wing CPT CBD: 021 487-5000 / Honda Wing Tygerberg: 021 910-8300 / Honda Wing East Cape: 041 581-0359 / Honda Wing Worcester: 023 347-2646 

NAMIBIA: Honda Wing Windhoek: 00264 613-81600 SWAZILAND: Honda Wing Mmbabane: 00268 2505 2881 BOTSWANA: Honda Wing Gaborone: 00267 395 2652 

www.honda.co.za / care@hondasa.co.za / Toll Free: 0800 466 321 / Facebook - Honda SA / Twitter - Honda SA.



FIRE IT UP GET’S 

NEW HOME... SOON. 

Fire It Up is pleased to announce that their new store will be 

opening in May of this year. Located on the corner of Main 

Rd and Halifax in Bryanston, the new store, which is only 

minutes away from the Fourways store, will offer all sales, 

service, repairs and tuning. Both Fire It Up and Performance 

Technic will now be under one roof offering a wider range of 

services including Off Road, Jet Skis and ATV’s - and almost 

double the amount of immaculate Pre-Owned motorcycles. 

The telephone numbers will stay the same and a new buying, 

service, and sales team are being groomed to offer the most 

focused customer experience ever. 

Tel: 011 467 0737. www.fireitup.co.za 

20 YEARS STRONG - HONDA 

WING TYGERBERG 

Honda Wing Tygerberg has been in business in the northern suburbs 

of Cape Town since early 2000, specialising in Honda Motorcycle 

sales, parts and service/repair work. With their team they have won 

several performance and service awards over the last 10 years. They 

have a sales team that is very driven and experienced in all aspects 

of their business including sport bikes, agricultural needs, adventure 

biking and commuting. They have all the latest and greatest on offer 

from Honda including the all-new Africa Twin CRF1100 in stock and 

they say the order list for the highly anticipated 2020 CBR1000 RR-R 

Fireblade is growing longer everyday… 

Drop in at 275 Durban road, Tygervalley, Belville for a cup of coffee 

and a chat or give them a call on 021 910 8300. 

BIKE TYRE 

WAREHOUSE NEWS 

Some interesting news from the purveyors of motorcycle 

tyres, brake pads, chains, sprockets and other important bits 

and bobs to keep you and your bike safe: 

Firstly, Eddie Leggo joins the Bike Tyre Warehouse Group 

as Technical Manager at their Head Office in Midrand, 

Johannesburg. Eddie has a wealth of knowledge when it 

comes to motorcycle tyre products and technical expertise, 

coming across from TI-Auto where he was HOD of the 

motorcycle tyre division with Metzeler. You can contact Eddie 

on 083 467 1349 or eddie@biketyrewarehouse.com. 

Then, The BATT HP 11’s (High Performance) road range are 

now available at great prices in the following size range; 

120/70-17 front; 160/60-17 rear; 180/55-17 rear; 190/50-17 

rear; 190/55-17 rear. 

But, most importantly and prestigiously of all, BTW won the 

Pirelli Dealer of the Year again - they are the largest trader in 

Pirelli tyres in SA. For Sales contact 073 777 9269 | 083 467 

1349 or sales@biketyrewarehouse.com. 




DALY BMW MOTORRAD 

KLERKSDORP TO THE RESCUE. 

A couple of weeks ago we put out a 

message on our Facebook page asking 

if anyone had a new BMW S1000RR for 

us to use in our main feature test for this 

month. We had a great response but 

most saying that there bikes were not yet 

run in so pretty pointless. 

The fine folk from Daly Motorrad, the 

massive BMW store in Klerksdorp came to 

our rescue and very quickly had their demo 

model serviced and ready for us to test. 

This was our first time visiting this 

dealership and we were mightily 

impressed with the layout and friendly 

service. They cater for everything BMW 

Motorrad - from bike sales to accessories 

and service and are also the only BMW 

dealership with permission to service any 

make of motorcycle. They’ll even give you 

a loan BMW to use while your bike is in, 

T&Cs apply of course. 

A big thanks to Jarques Brink and his team 

for their speedy and professional service 

and for coming to our rescue in a time of 

need. The Demo S1000RR M Sport model 

is for sale so if you are keen on anything 

BMW or motorcycle related give them a 

call on 018 011 1888. 

All the latest BMW Motorrad 

machines for you to gaze 

upon. Demo models also 

available for test rides. 

BIKE KINGS 

MASSIVE WINTER 

SALE - 26-29 MARCH 

The massive bike accessories chain 

stores are having a big Winter Sale 

starting on Thursday the 26th March 

2020 and ending on the Sunday the 29th 

March. Customers can expect 15% off all 

brand new gear in store while there will 

also be 10% off assorted tyres and up to 

30% off selected helmets. 

For all you dirty buggers out there Bike 

Kings will have selected MX gear at less 

50% - now that’s just filthy! 

Bike Kings carries massive amount of 

stock with a wide variety of styles and 

sizes so we can guarantee that you will 

find a bargain not just over this Winter 

Sale but anytime you set foot into 

anyone of their 3 stores. 

Bike Kings PTA: 012 2710 070/1 

Bike Kings Sandton: 011 234 5007 

Bike Kings CPT: 084 976 1224 

Our Knight in shining 

armour - Mr Jarques 

Brink - bike and 

workshop manager. 

2020 YAMAHA R1 

ARRIVES IN SA. 

The sharper, faster, meaner 2020 Yamaha 

R1 is now available in South Africa. 

Yes, at R319 950 the new R1 is not cheap 

but you do actually see what you are 

paying for. The build quality of the R1 is 

very impressive. 

The fine-tuned styling of the 2020 R1 

is just bang on the money and this also 

improved the overall aerodynamics of 

this angry YZF. The engine has been 

revised and the suspension and brakes 

updated, all in the quest to take the fight 

straight to the superbike class of 2020. 

Expect us to bring you a full review on 

the 2020 YZF R1 in the near future. 




TRICKBITZ NEWS: 

MORE NEW TRICKBITZ 

JUST LANDED. 

The all new Domino A450 

grip by Tomaselli 

The A450 was created with the aim of 

completing the range for racing-road 

use, where every rider has personal and 

particular needs. For this reason Tomaselli 

found it was necessary to put in place 

twenty years of experience in the field 

of dual compound grips, in which it is a 

pioneer, and care for ergonomics that has 

distinguished it for over fifty years. 

Here are some features of the new grips: 

• Two materials with different hardness 

and colours: a harder heart to make the 

grip on the handlebar stable and a softer 

outer coat to promote maximum grip in all 

conditions. In areas more subject to wear 

and tear such as the flange, the outer edge 

and an extreme portion, the harder material 

emerges outside, better supporting the 

hand and reducing the more localized wear 

on the knob. 

• New external multiconic finish, which 

allows exceptional and constant grip - 

even in wet conditions - with progressive 

wear of the knob. This is possible thanks to 

its particular shape in the world of knobs, 

the result of months of studies and tests in 

all conditions. 

• A slightly higher grip diameter than the 

A010, designed for those who prefer a 

slightly larger ergonomic grip. 

• Three seats for fixing with the locking 

wire, of which the innermost can be 

considered to adapt the socket to the 

shorter accelerator tubes of the Japanese 

motorcycles. 

Call Trickbitz on 011 672 6599 for more info. 

I.R.C. Quickshifters 

With the advancements in technology 

on all bikes these days it is amazing how 

something as simple as the time it takes 

to change gears can make. A simple up or 

down shift can mean winning or losing. 

The Blipper replacement the original 

quickshifter sensor, allows the same 

functions of the original version of most 

modern superbikes. The Blipper works both 

up and downshifts where it allows a more 

rapid climb and greater control of engine 

braking. So you no longer need to use the 

clutch to downshift. The electronic gear 

function Blipper is completely plug and play 

with no changes to the original wiring. 

Using “Load Cell Technology” they are able 

to work both pushing and pulling and have 

2 different Electronic modules. 

• Signal powering near the strain gauge 

and external board for signal treatment 

• Calibrate and Calibratable at any time 

• Easy preload setting done on a miniature 

digital led panel, no PC 

• Max Load Recording 

• Current Load Display 

• Failure Check warning 

• Automatic temperature, vibrations and 

creep adjustment 

• Specific Connectors included 

• Instructions for YEC, HRC and Yoshimura 

ECUS 

• Provided with Rod already holed and 

threaded, just to be cut, available either 

M6 or M8 holes 

• IP 65 guaranted I.E. water and dust proof 

• Reality 100% reliable: 1’000’000 cycles at 

45 kg’s load passed 


I.R.C. Tyre Warmers 

A neccesaty for any track rider. The I.R.C. 

tyre warmers are high quality and have 

a proven track record of lasting and not 

giving any hassles. There quality has 

been tried and tested at the highest level 

possible in both the MotoGP and WSBK 

paddocks - so yes, they are good. 

• Carbon resistors for greater reliability. 

Virtually indestructible. 

• Arrangement of spiral heating elements 

for a more uniform heating of the hips too. 

• Possibility to have different sizes on 

request. 

• Excellent side coverage for quick rim 

heating. 

• The temperature is set at 80 ° C as 

required by the MotoGP and SBK teams. 

• Heating speed developed in accordance 

with the experience of the MotoGP and 

SBK teams. 

• Side skirts for faster heating of the rim. 

• Nylon exterior and polyester interior: 

FIREPROOF. 

• Elastic closures for quick assembly. 

• Power: 850W (size L) 





THRUXTON MOTORCYCLES 

Thruxton Motorcycles started 

as a small Royal Enfield 

dealer in Somerset West in 

2011. It then moved to the 

current site in the Tyger Valley 

area, growing both in size and 

brands, taking on a Suzuki 

dealership in 2015. 

Mike Hopkins Motorcycles 

has been in existence since 

1978 and is one of the most 

recognised motorcycle 

dealers in Cape Town. Also 

being the longest Kawasaki 

dealer in South Africa and 

more recently the major 

Triumph dealer in the 

Western Cape. 

The two shops combined in 

2018 when the then current 

owner of MHM agreed to 

sell to Thruxton. The two 

shops where merged under 

one roof at the Tygervalley 

site, achieving a more 

efficient organisation; a long 

established and respected 

dealer, with experienced 

staff and multiple brands, 

Kawasaki, Suzuki, SYM, Royal 

Enfield, Triumph. 

Adrian Podd is the man in 

charge and has been in the 

motorcycle industry both 

in the UK and SA for many 

years. Mark Livings (Sales 

Manager) is a long-standing 

character in the Cape Town 

motorcycle community, and 

equally well-known is Gino 

Perino (Service Manager). 

Alongside them is a team 

of experienced salespeople 

and mechanics who are all 

themselves enthusiastic 

bikers. They understand that 

motorcycling is a passion 

for some, but for others just 

an economical practicality 

and can empathise with 

all providing a friendly yet 

professional service. 

The showroom has brand 

new bikes from all of its 

franchised brands, plus a 

quality selection of used 

bikes, in particular Triumph. 

Every used bike for sale, is 

first given a comprehensive 

check and test by the 

workshop before being 

placed on the floor for sale. 

Recently introduced is the 

Smart Carbon loyalty card, 

enabling customers to 

build up points and then 

redeem them against future 

purchases from either the 

fully stocked accessory area 

or for workshop jobs. 

Supporting sales is a large 

workshop, bike wash and tyre 

fitment centre. The workshop 

is staffed by three qualified 

motorcycle mechanics with 

certification in all the major 

brands. Between them they 

have many years’ experience 

and the tools and diagnostics 

to service and repair most 

modern bikes. All types of 

motorcycles repairs can 

be undertaken including 

insurance and major engine 

rebuilds. 

Making all this work is of 

course the most important 

part of the shop, the 

customers. They come far and 

wide to support Thruxtons 

ride outs, breakfast runs, 

demo days or just pop in for a 

chat. The guys at Thruxtons 

say that this makes running a 

‘bike shop’ so enjoyable.” And 

send out a Big Thank You! To 

them all. 

Give Thruxtons a call on 

021 202 3369 or pop in for 

a coffee and a chat at 112 

Edward Street, Bellville, 

Cape Town. 7530 

RXF & RFZ 

RACING- 

BALANCE 

BIKE WITH 

ELECTRIC 

MOTOR 

Most of the kids out there have 

had a little balance bike similar 

to the one picyured here, where 

they duck walked/rode it around 

the garden etc. 

Well, this is the next step up in 

their progression to becoming 

the next Brad Binder or Sheridan 

Morais. Some innovative blokes 

have fitted an electric motor to 

a balance bike with foot boards 

and from the videos we have 

watched, the kiddies scoot 

around obstacle courses from 

about the age of 3 or 4 years old 

to their early pre-teens. 

The balance bikes come in two 

different sizes - the RXF is 12 

inch and RFZ is 16 inch - both 

with lightweight aluminium alloy 

frames, sturdy handle bars and 

wheels and a comfy adjustable 

seat. The electric motors speed 

can be adjusted up or down to 

suit the riders level of skill and 

Mom or Dads jogging speed. The 

RXF is suitable for riders from 

about 3 or 4 years of age up to 

about 6 or 7 years old and the 

RFZ bike from about 6 or 7 years 

old up to about 10 or 12 years 

old, depending on the size of the 

youngster. Prices range from 

R4,500.00 to R5,500.00. 

For more info or to orders 

yours drop a mail to 

freestylemarketing13@outlook. 

com, delivery is via courier 

countrywide and assembly is as 

simple as charging and fitting 

the battery, fitting the seat and 

handlebars. 


PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought to you by 

QUARTARARO JOINS VINALES 

IN FACTORY YAMAHA 

MOTOGP LINE-UP 

MotoGP rookie sensation Fabio 

Quartarsro will join Maverick Vinales in 

the Monster Yamaha team for 2021-2022. 

In his debut year, the 20-year old from 

Nice, France, scored seven podiums with 

Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, 

which at the time was a brand-new 

Yamaha satellite team. 

He came tantalizingly close to his 

first premier class win on a number of 

occasions. Though it wasn’t to be, his 

exceptional performances impressed 

many in 2019. Ultimately, he secured fifth 

place in the overall MotoGP standings, 

earning him the Best Independent Team 

Rider honour by 27 points, as well as the 

Rookie of the Year title with a 100-point 

margin to the runner-up. 

“I’m delighted about what my 

management has achieved in the last 

few months together with YMC. It was 

not simple to establish, but now I have 

a clear plan for the next three years and 

I’m really happy,” said Quartararo. 

I will work hard, like I did last year, and 

I’m extremely motivated to achieve great 

performances. 

“I feel like the winter period is too long – 

I’m really excited to go to the Sepang test 

next week to ride my new YZR-M1 and 

meet and work with my crew again. 

“I want to thank YMC and PETRONAS 

Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, who have 

given me the opportunity to enter the 

MotoGP class in 2019. I will give my all to 

do them proud again this year.” 

Yamaha Racing managing director Lin 

Jarvis added: “We are very pleased that 

Fabio will be joining the Yamaha Factory 

Racing MotoGP Team line-up for 2021 

and 2022. 

“His results in his MotoGP debut year 

were sensational. His 6 pole positions 

and the 7 podiums in the 2019 season 

were a clear sign of his brilliance and 

exceptional riding skills. Inviting him to 

move up to the Yamaha Factory Racing 

Team after he completes his contract 

with Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing 

Team was a logical next step. 

“For the upcoming season he will be 

provided with a factory-spec YZR-M1 and 

he will receive full support from Yamaha. 

“Fabio is only 20 years old, but he is 

already showing great maturity on and 

off the bike, and we are excited to have 

him join us in 2021. 

“Fabio and Maverick will provide a big 

stimulus to all of us in the Yamaha 

Factory Racing MotoGP Team to continue 

to develop the YZR-M1 and leave no 

stone unturned in our quest for MotoGP 

World Championship victories.” 

Pic by GP Fever.de 

ROSSI’S FUTURE 

MOTOGP PLANS 

PUT ON HOLD. 

Valentino Rossi’s plans for his MotoGP 

future have been put on hold after Yamaha 

signed Fabio Quartararo to the factory team 

alongside Maverick Vinales. 

It is believed The Doctor has an option to 

simply do a swap with Quartararo but it is 

doubtful he will have the motivation to run in 

a non-factory team and is more likely to go 

into car racing. 

“For reasons dictated by the riders’ market, 

Yamaha asked me at the beginning of the 

year to make a decision regarding my future. 

Consistent with what I said during the last 

season, I confirmed that I didn’t want to rush 

any decision and needed more time,” said Rossi. 

“Yamaha has acted accordingly and 

concluded the ongoing negotiations. It is clear 

that after the last technical changes and with 

the arrival of my new crew chief, my first goal 

is to be competitive this year and to continue 

my career as a MotoGP rider also in 2021. 

“Before doing so, I need to have some 

answers that only the track and the first 

few races can give me. I’m happy that, 

should I decide to continue, Yamaha is ready 

to support me in all respects, giving me a 

factory-spec bike and a factory contract.” 


PADDOCK NEWS 


TWO- 

STROKES 

TO MAKE 

MOTOGP 

RETURN BY 

2026? 

KAWASAKI AND REA LOOKING 

FOR MOTOGP WILDCARD? 

The news comes after Ezpeleta confirmed in 

an interview with GPOne in which he confirmed 

the question was raised and quickly quashed. 

He said, “Kawasaki asked me for the possibility 

of doing wildcard with their Superbike. I replied 

no, because wildcards are reserved for those 

who participate in MotoGP.” 

In the interview, the Dorna CEO went on to 

explain how he felt WSBK fitted into the grand 

scheme of the things by saying, “I went to the 

SBK paddock and said clearly that they were 

second division”. 

Kawasaki exited MotoGP ahead of the 2009 

season citing pressures prompted by the 

global financial crisis but in lieu siphoned 

resources towards its WorldSBK effort which 

at the time was struggling compared with its 

factory-backed rivals. It proved a shrewd move 

with Tom Sykes winning its first title in 20 

years in 2013 before Jonathan Rea reeled off 

five consecutive titles between 2015 and 2019. 

Despite this success, Kawasaki has 

repeatedly resisted the temptation to return 

to MotoGP, describing it as ten times more 

expensive than its WorldSBK effort with no 

guarantees of success. 

However, this revelation from Ezpeleta 

suggests Kawasaki has been considering the 

prospect of taking an adapted version of its 

ZX-10RR all the way to MotoGP, though its 

unclear how it would attempt to do this not 

least because MotoGP uses Michelin tyres 

compared with WorldSBK’s Pirelli rubber. 

Kawasaki did have a minor presence in 

MotoGP during the CRT era when its engines 

were used by the Avintia team, while at the 

time rival ART bikes were ultimately prototype 

adaptations of the Aprilia RSV4. 

Ezpeleta doesn’t say which event Kawasaki 

wanted to wildcard in though a performance 

at Motegi would be plausible given there is still 

no Japanese event on the WorldSBK calendar. 

Of the 13 events on the WorldSBK calendar, 

MotoGP visited seven of them last season. 

As a reference, Rea’s Superpole lap during the 

Jerez round was a 1m 38.247, which would have 

placed him 19th on the 24-strong grid. Fabio 

Quartararo’s pole winning lap was a 1m 36.880s 

Two-stroke engines or motors 

running on hydrogen could be back in 

MotoGP by the middle of this decade 

if targets to make motorsport more 

carbon neutral are to be achieved. 

Stinkwheels, as the Americans 

lovingly referred to them, were 

canned in MotoGP at the end of the 

2001 season as the emissions were 

far too high and four-strokes were 

brought in - some say at the behest 

of Honda - to made reductions. 

But with new direct injection, 

pressure charging and other 

technologies, two-strokes are now 

more efficient than four-strokes. And 

hydrogen engines only emit water 

at the end of a combustion cycle but 

that tech is still very expensive. 

F1 chief technical boff Pat Symonds is 

keen on using a two-stroke formula 

in its new specification of engine unit 

in 2025 and MotoGP might follow 

the same ideas in order to also share 

development costs. 

“I’m very keen on it being a twostroke. 

Much more efficient, great 

sound from the exhaust and a lot 

of the problems with the old twostrokes 

are just not relevant any 

more,” he said. 

“Direct injection, pressure charging, 

and new ignition systems have all 

allowed new forms of two-stroke 

engines to be very efficient and very 

emission-friendly. I think there’s a 

good future for them.” 


STAB TC-2 

NEW GRAPHICS AVAILABLE 

PHILOSOPHER TC-1 



HARMONIC TC-10 

MARQUEZ POWER UP! TC-1 

STAB TC-4 

STAB TC-8 

EQUATE TC-10 

SHOREBREAK TC-2 

ZORK TC-7 

THE ESSENCE OF RIDING 

WWW.SHOEI.COM

PADDOCK NEWS 


MOTOGP MISANO TOUR 2020 

Calling all MotoGP fans and 

more, especially fans of the 

famous #46. The 2020 San 

Marino MotoGP at the Italian 

Misano World Circuit may 

possibly be the last time the 

home town hero Valentino Rossi 

races at his home track. 

How would you like to be there 

and join #TheVoiceOfChoice in 

SA Motorsport, Greg Moloney, 

and watch Vale take his last ride 

from his home town to the iconic 

track, that has seen him on the 

podium on numerous occasions, 

in front of the world famous 

VR46 fans? 

Take a ride through the Italian 

countryside from Rome to the 

Adriatic Coast, as well daily 

outrides. 

Your 4* star hotel (upgrade 

available) awaits you in the town 

of Riccione, known for its nightlife 

and beaches. 

Experience the atmosphere of 

Tavullia, Rossi’s home town, 

and the MotoGP Qualifying and 

then experience what it’s like to 

be trackside on race day on the 

grid grandstand, as we bring the 

South African “gees” in true South 

African style to support our very 

own Brad Binder and Darryn 

Binder as they line up to take on 

the worlds best in MotoGP and 

Moto3 respectively! 

And let’s not forget that 

unforgettable track invasion that 

is customary at Misano... let’s be 

there in the thick of it... you know 

you want to. 

Date: 10 – 14 September 2020 

• 5 Days, 4 Nights in Riccione, Italy 

• Daily planned routes 

• Visit Ducati Factory & Museum 

• Watch the qualifying in Tavullia - 

Rossi’s home town 

• Central Stand Grid View ticket – 

Sunday raceday 

• Arrival Lunch and Dinner, 

Farewell Dinner 

• Local Tour Guide 

• Luggage transfers 

• Economy return Flights 

• Bike Hire for 5 Day with 

comprehensive insurance & km 

included 

For more details and all pricing 

per package please visit 

supercarlifesyle.com. 

We can’t wait to get your name 

down for this incredible MotoGP 

experience. 


||| PRODUCTS FEATURE 

RB KTM RACING TEAM 

CREWNECK SWEATER 

Layer up in this comfortable crewneck 

sweater with a Red Bull KTM Racing 

Team design on the front. Meanwhile, a 

team logo on the back hem keeps your 

pride on show. 

Available from Planes Trains 

Automobiles @ R1,599. 

Bedford Centre Tel: 011 615 4995 

Melrose Arch Tel: 011 684 1100 

RB KTM RACING TEAM LETRA 

REVERSIBLE JACKET 

Like to have options? This versatile padded jacket isn’t just a cosy 

layer, it’s also two styles in one. For low key days, wear the plain 

side with colourful Red Bull KTM Racing Team lettering on the 

sleeve, and for those days when you want extra flair, the other 

side rocks a statement KTM mosaic print all over. In addition, 

it’s insulated, windproof and waterproof, making it a perfect 

teammate on colder days. 

Available from KTM Centurion. Tel: 012 643 1110 

RB KTM RACING 

TEAM SOCKS 

Created in a comfortable cotton mix, 

these sporty socks feature a knitted 

Red Bull KTM Racing Team logo to 

put your pride on show and they rock 

a two colour KTM mosaic design to 

complement the rest of the collection. 

Available from Planes Trains 

Automobiles. Call for pricing. 



RB KTM RACING 

TEAM SHIRTS 

Show your love for racing on two 

wheels with this statement T-Shirt 

featuring a big Red Bull KTM Racing 

Team logo on the front in colour, 

together with a classic crew neck 

and short sleeves to keep you fresh. 

Available from KTM Centurion. 

Tel: 012 643 1110 

RB KTM RACING TEAM CAPS 

Show your support for MotoGP riders Brad Binder and 

Pol Espargaro with the Red Bull KTM Racing Official 

Teamline. Keep a cool head with the Red Bull KTM 9FIFTY 

cap by New Era. Creative, vibrant and stylish, and for 

authenticity it features a Red Bull KTM Racing logo on the 

front together with “racing team” embroidery. 

Available from RAD Moto KTM. Tel: 011 234 5007 


||| PRODUCTS FEATURE 

VR46 MINICHAMPS 1:10 SCALE 

AGV HELMET COLLECTION 

If you are a Valentino Rossi fan then pay careful 

attention to this. Planes Trains Automobiles have just 

got stock of the all-new Minichamps 1:10 scale Rossi 

helmet collection. Some of the most famous helmet 

designs from the Doctor over the years - from Mugello 

and Misano replica’s to his more current race replica’s. 

These are a must for any Rossi fans and MotoGP 

collectors. 

Available from Planes Trains Automobiles @ R249 each. 



OGIO NO DRAG MACH 5 

BACKPACK 

The OGIO Mach 5 Back Pack is OGIO’s topof-the-line 

aerodynamic backpack. Full of 

features such as a pocket for shoes, helmet 

carry strap and a fleece-lined electronics 

pocket, this backpack is made from a 

streamlined shape that resists buffeting at 

speed. The OGIO No Drag Mach 5 Backpack 

easily expands by means of a U-shaped 

zippered gusset. 

Available from Bike Kings PTA @ R2800. 

Tel 012 2710 070/1 

SHOEI NXR HELMET 

The new NXR is a value-for-money helmet 

aimed at a wide variety of riders - from every day 

commuters to track day warriors - the NXR offers 

all one could want when it comes to a quality, 

safe, reliable helmet at a price that won’t leave 

your head feeling sore. 

SHOEI’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel at their 

Ibaraki Factory was the key to the NXR Helmet 

Design Process. Thanks to the time spent in the 

wind tunnel the NXR sport; a more compact 

and aerodynamic shell than the XR-1100 and is 

the lightest Snell Certified Helmet in the Shoei 

Line as of its introduction.Using the Shoei Wind 

Tunnel the optimal balance of ventilation and 

noise was identified. 

Using this knowledge Shoei Engineers equipped 

the NXR with a large, three position lower vent 

shutter for ease of use with gloves, three upper 

vents for optimal air intake, and four upper 

exhaust vents too take full advantage of negative 

pressure suction. The end result is dramatically 

improved cool air intake and hot air expulsion. 

CWR-1 shield provides a vast field of vision that 

rivals helmet less peripheral. In addition to 

protecting against 99% of the sun’s damaging 

UV rays, the CWR-1 shield offers a distortionfree 

view throughout the entire range thanks to 

SHOEI’s 3D injection-moulding process. 

The NXR all-new QR-E base plate system 

facilitates quicker shield changes than ever 

before. 

The NXR features the SHOEI Multi-Ply Matrix 

AIM+ Shell construction. Combining fibreglass 

with organic fibres, the NXR proprietary 

AIM+ Shell is not only strong, it is extremely 

lightweight, and comes in an industry-leading 

four shell sizes to ensure a custom fit for heads 

between the sizes of XS-XXL. 

Dual-Layer, Multi-Density EPS liner not only 

provides an enhanced impact absorption by 

utilizing varying densities of foam in key areas 

around the riders head, it is also designed to 

allow cooling air to travel unrestricted through 

tunnels created in the EPS, further enhancing the 

NXR superior ventilation. 

Fully removable, washable, adjustable, and 

replaceable 3D Max-Dry System II interior. 

SHOEI equipped the NXR Helmet with its 

exclusive Emergency Quick Release System 

(technology borrowed from The Shoei X-Twelve 

Helmet) that allows emergency medical 

personnel to easily remove the cheek pads 

from an injured rider’s helmet. When the cheek 

pads have been removed, the helmet can be 

safely lifted from a rider’s head without creating 

unnecessary strain in the neck area. 

The new range of NXR colours and designs are 

now available in SA. Featured here is the STAB 

TC-8 (Orange) and STAB TC-2 (white and blue). 

Available from Linex Lifestyle Centre 

Randburg @ R9,700 each. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 2 7

Cool 

Urban 

Cruiser 

Cruising the streets on the ultra cool 

and seriously good value-for-money 

new Big Boy Superlight 200cc. 

Words: Shado Alston | Pics: Sean Hendley 

My first impression of the 

Superlight was that it appears 

to be a small commuter akin 

to the Suzuki GN250, with 

similar styling, appearance and 

ergonomics. Wide flat seat, with 

raised handlebars makes it a 

comfortable ride with zero effort 

in keeping the arms up and hands 

on the bar ends. 

The CG-derived 200cc motor 

is common to the STX 200 I 

reviewed not too long ago and 

has proven itself to be a robust 

performer with ample guts to 

get you rolling. Although the rev 

counter indicates a maximum 

useable range of 10000rpm, a 

more realistic figure is around 

the 8000rpm mark, the extra 

2,000rpm is there if you need it 

though. The counterbalanced 

crankshaft delivers a smooth 

useable rev range and has ample 

torque down in the low RPM 

range. The manufacturer states a 

fuel consumption figure of around 

2.5l per 100km, which if ridden 

correctly should see you get 

around 500-600km on a tank! 

The only issue I picked up, and 

this is really just splitting hairs, 

is on the fuelling on the motor, 

it has a small flat spot when 

accelerating hard off the line, but 

you must remember that most, if 

not all carburetted machines are 

jetted for sea level and a bit of re 

– jetting at the first service should 

sort most of that out. Also, it is 

always better to run the engine a 

bit rich when running in the motor. 

The machine is fitted with Yuan 

Xing rubber, which has quite a soft 

compound and tread pattern that 

will handle the rain and grip nicely 

on dry roads. 18 inch alloy rim on 

the rear a 19 inch up front let the 

machine feel planted and handle 

the corners of Fort Klapperkop like 

a dream! 

Brakes employed up front are 

a big single-piston calliper and 

disc and drum on the rear. The 

wet weight is around 130kg and 

with the 200cc 5-speed motor 

option will see you through to 

around 110km/h! (Not that one 

should be doing those speeds on 

urban roads…) 

Adjustable preload on the 

rear shock allow for adjustment 

to accommodate a payload of 

around 150kg. I found the machine 

to have great manners on the 

road and the little bit of rocky 

terrain I climbed to get a photo 

at the cell tower was handled 

with ease! The Superlight also 

has a rear carrier rack and pillion 

setup to make it versatile and 

an option in the commute and 

commercial markets too! I’d say 

it’s a great beginner machine that 

will keep on going if serviced and 

maintained as and when it should! 

Personally, I think the machine 

is great value for money, looks 

really good and I expect to see a 

good few on the road in the near 

future! 

Check out www. 

samotorcycles.co.za for your 

nearest dealer. 


NOW HERE: BIG BOY’S 

ALL-NEW SUPERLIGHT 

125 & 200cc. 

SuperLight 125- R17,499.00 

SuperLight 200- R17,999.00 

* Prices include VAT, excludes On-The-Road costs & Govt. Levy. 

Due to popular demand, SA Motorcycles is proud to 

announce the re-introduction of the Big Boy Superlight. 

This new addition to the Big Boy range will come 

in both 125 and 200cc. The upright riding position 

and comfortable ergonomics make 

it ideal for commuting in daily traffic 

or running company deliveries at a 

highly affordable price tag compared 

to similar models in the market. 

The pair of Superlights feature superior 

build quality, both sporting counter-balanced 4-stroke 

motors, 5-speed gearboxes, LCD displays, LED lights, 

electric starts, front disc brakes and 

other key features. 

The first shipment 

will be available in 

Orange & Silver 

and Black & Silver 

colour schemes, both 

equipped with 12-spoke 

satin black sports wheels. 

If you’d like a super-light feel in the traffic with 

super-light fuel consumption, the Big Boy SuperLight is 

the ride for you. Visit one of our 80+ authorised dealers 

today for a closer look. 

For the full scooter, motorcycle, ATV and commercial range visit: www.samotorcycles.co.za 

IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY 

Join Big Boy on 

GraphicWerx Advertising & Design cc 

BBS_RideFast_March_'20.indd 1 

2020/02/10 2:05 PM 

SA’S ADVENTURE 

BIKE MAGAZINE 

IN STORES NOW! 

Available at all leading 

retailers nationwide.

THE APRILIA 

MPUMALANGA 

BLAST 

Two Aprilias, two days and two idiots blasting to 

motorcycling paradise. What could be better? 

Words: Donovan Fourie | Pics: Hapless Donovan and his iPhone 

Mat never mixes his 

words: “Don, let’s go 

shoot two bikes in 

Sabie this week.” 

My professionalism fails, 

and I answer like a school kid 

unwrapping a new Scalextrics set. 

“Yes, please!” 

“Good. We are riding up with 

all our camera gear in backpacks. 

And you’re riding an RSV4. And 

you have to wear leathers.” 

At this point, you notice that 

the box is from China and the 

spelling has two K’s. 

“Oh…” 

I love the RSV4, just like I 

love all Aprilias, but the idea of 

300km of N4 highway cramped 

on a superbike while my black 

leathers absorb the stifling heat 

tends to dull the shine slightly. 

Normally, I’d load the trailer, 

turn the aircon in my bakkie 

up and blare Led Zeppelin the 

entire way there, but Mat had 

this genius plan of doing a 

travelogue film about the trip 

there. He’d sit in the comfort 

of a Tuono while I, the butt of 

the joke, cramp my way to heat 

exhaustion. Bastard! 

The sun rose on a 

Wednesday, which we are all 

thankful for, and two bursting 

backpacks travelled through 

the morning gridlock on the 

back of two idiots growling their 

V4 ways along the morning 

suffering. I’m on the RSV4RR, the 

cheaper of the two superbike 

options, that is joyfully still 

adorned with the full set of 

Aprilia electrickery, including 

cruise control. The traffic clears 

as we leave civilisation, and 

we want to get this highway 

torture over and done with. The 

fastest way to so that is to lock 

the speed at 166 km/h; fast 

enough to haul and yet not fast 

enough for handcuffs. Along 

the journey, we encountered a 

police representative once, who 

pointed its little radar gun at us, 

saw the speed, shrugged and 

then waved at us. Isn’t that nice? 

I expected to be weeping 

with cramps before middistance, 

more so in leathers. 

Truthfully, the cramped position 

of a superbike is never great in 

riding jeans and a jacket, but 

the leathers had a surprisingly 

opposite effect. They were a 

new pair I had received from 

Mass Sports who were good 

enough to stick a tape measure 

into my unmentionables 

and tailor me a custom set, 

something a gentleman of my 

“generous” proportions requires. 

By some miracle, they fitted 

magnificently, more so than 

jeans and jackets, and I was 

oddly comfortable. Helping 

further is that the Italians are not 

the smallest race and their bikes 

are usually deliciously roomy. 

By Milly’s Services, I felt 

drained but not fatigued. 

Happy as a daisy, we set off for 

the last stretch and rolled into 

The Woodsman less than an 

hour later. 

The plan was to begin filming 

my road test of the RSV4 that 

afternoon, but the weather 

gods had become jealous and 

offloaded a mini monsoon 

upon us, so there was no more 

riding until morning. With that, 

I can heartily recommend The 

Woodman’s bar… 

The 22 is a stretch of road 

running from Sabie towards 

Hazyview and is the best race 

track in the world. You may have 

gazed in wonder at aerial photos 

of European passes zig-zagging 

down the mighty Alps and cast 

some doubt on this claim. While 

they are magnificent to behold, 

they are less magnificent to 

Two absolute beauties! You can see them in 

the background behind Mat and Don. 

ride. Essentially, they are like a 

prolonged lap of a go-cart track 

– short straight, hairpin, short 

straight, hairpin, short straight, 

hairpin, etc. The 22 does not 

surmount any might peaks but, 

instead, follows the Sabie River’s 

meanders making for a 22 

km-long stretch of fast, flowing, 

predictable corners. The best in 

the world. 

Pornography for petrolheads, 

And the RSV4RR is quite 

possibly the best bike in the 

world for this stretch. It’s even 

better than the RSV4 Factory for 

one simple reason – it’s cheaper. 

There’s a good reason for the 

Factory commanding a dearer 

price and one that is much 

appreciated around the closed 

race circuits of the world, but 

the 22 isn’t a closed race circuit. 


The Ohlins suspension on the 

Factory is far better than the 

Sachs on the RR for braking hard 

into hairpin bends, but there are 

no hairpin bends on the 22. The 

extra 16hp stomped out by the 

bigger 1100cc motor is excellent 

for punching out of curves onto 

long straights, but the 22 is 

mostly a series of connected 

corners where subtlety is 

rewarded far more than a punch. 

The extra Moola for the Factory 

is not needed, so why pay more? 

Beyond that, the V-four 

motor offers power throughout 

the rev range while broadcasting 

that soulful soundtrack. The 

frames on Aprilias are legendary 

for providing a miraculous mix 

of both stability and agility in 

a rarely found combination of 

both, making switches between 

corners as easy as holding a 

line while in them. The Brembo 

brakes are excellent, the Sachs 

suspension works admirably, 

the looks turn the heads of every 

Arrival at the famous 

Woodsman in Sabie. 

pedestrian, and the electronics 

are magnificent – especially the 

two-way quickshifter. 

The RSV4RR is quite probably 

the perfect bike for the 22, but it 

was not the best bike on our trip; 

that prize went to the Tuono. 

Through the 22, it was 

outclassed by the RSV4 but 

a long way from the point of 

embarrassment. Everywhere 

else, it was a better motorcycle. 

Through traffic, it is easier to 

jiggle between cars, down the 

freeway the upright position 

is breezier but less taxing, and 

it was all joy everywhere else. 

We’ve said it before, and we will 

say it again – the Tuono is the 

best bike Aprilia makes. 

If you want to conquer the 22, 

get an RSV4RR. If you want to 

conquer everywhere else, get a 

Tuono. 

The new range of Aprilia’s 

are set to land in SA any second 

now so call Aprilia SA on 010 443 

4596 now for more info. 

After spending the day “working” on the 22, it 

helps to carbo-load. 

“The frames on Aprilias are legendary 

for providing a miraculous mix of both 

stability and agility in a rarely found 

combination of both, making switches 

between corners as easy as holding a 

line while in them.” 

The perfect bike for the perfect road. 

Standing triumphantly at the Aprilia (and 

Maserati) shop after a two-day blast. 

Taking a break beside the 22 


EXCLUSIVE LOCAL TEST: 2020 BMW S1000RR 

LETHAL 

WEAPON 1&2 

BMW S1000RR: STANDARD VS RACE TRIM 


In this issue of RideFast, Robert Portman had the 

opportunity to ride Lance Isaac’s National-spec BMW 

S1000RR race bike kitted with everything our minds can 

imagine, and things much brighter minds can imagine also. 

Before we turn the pages to peruse the written form of 

his eyes popping out of his head, Donovan Fourie spent a 

day at Red Star Raceway with both a “standard” version 

of BMW’s latest superbike incarnation, plus a more 

“reasonably” kitted-out one from the fellows at World Of 

Carbon. Effectively, we move from good, to better, to best. 

Let’s start with the good – herewith from Donovan: 

Words: Donovan Fourie | Pics: Beam Productions 

“Standard” 

BMW S1000RR 

Well, we say “standard” 

because it is road-legal and 

left the factory in this trim. 

But manufacturers have 

cottoned on to the idea that 

people don’t want what 

is technically “standard” 

and find that their minds 

are more at ease when 

said factory bolts on all 

their batsh*t crazy go-fast 

bits. Thus we should make 

a distinction between 

“standard” and “base”. This is 

standard, but it has an entire 

catalogue of BMW’s newlyadopted 

M-parts vomited 

over it and therefore is 

galaxies away from “base”. 

If you don’t believe us, 

observe: 

It has the optional M 

Package complete with 

carbon wheels, the lighter 

M battery, the M seat with 

harder padding and a nonslip 

cover, an M tail and a 

“WSBK” M swing-arm with 

a different pivot. And this 

is the outward glance – 

inwardly, there is a host of 

added electronic trickery 

with three Race Pro riding 

modes, a launch control, a 

pitlane limiter, engine brake 

control, hill-start control 

pro, dynamic brake control 

and slide control. 

After all that, if you feel 

as though your overheating 

brain has exceeded melting 

point, take a moment to 

sympathise with Rob and 

me, standing disconsolately 

in the pits of Red Star as 

we flipped through the 

seemingly infinite onslaught 

of options on the TFT dash. 

After various phone calls 

and committee meetings, 

we eventually reached an 

electronic compromise that 

will suit our simple track 

needs and set forth down 

pitlane. Obviously, this is 

without the pitlane limiter 

working on account of it 

not being included in the 

understanding settlement. 

We are sure it works 

terrifically, though. 

At the beginning of last 

year sometime, RideFast 

attended the tedious world 

launch of this model in 

some scummy country at 

the bottom of Europe on 

some lousy race track – the 

adjectives contained in the 


previous sentence were not 

affected in any way by the fact 

the Rob went to that launch, 

and I did not. An age seems to 

have passed since then with 

various little tweaks and local 

legislative bureaucracy causing 

various delays, but it is good to 

finally sit on one in the flesh and 

feel it rumbling its way onto a 

track we call our own. 

The full report was offered 

after the launch but herewith 

a highlights package – the 

motor now shoves out 207 hp 

at 13,500 rpm, two figures that 

have since been out-claimed 

by the Italians. However, 

these are German figures that 

tend to be portrayed via an 

efficiently-produced clipboard, 

whereas the Italians convey 

theirs through the medium 

of arm waving and crotchgrabbing. 

The S1000RR has 

also been munching the diet 

pills. Previously, it sat at a 

somewhat rotund 208kg, a 

figure BMW dismissed as not 

a problem due to their clever 

use of mass-centralisation. 

Sadly, for them, the opposition 

also used mass-centralisation, 

except with less mass. The 

current bike, with the lightened 

M Package, weighs a daintily 

athletic 193 kg ready to ride. 

Where the previous model 

was a pillar of stability, it had a 

wayward manner deep within 

the corner, preferring to go 

straight when you would rather 

it would turn. There are no 

issues now, and immediately 

it feels light on its feet with 

far better tipping and less 

negotiation mid-turn. The 

strange throttle setup helps this 

further; at all stages of opening, 

the bike feels bogged down as 

though it’s in the wrong gear. 

This might not run up and give 

you the kick you were expecting, 

but it does make controlling 

speed through the turns a little 

less traumatic. 

When all hope appeared 

lost, you open up onto the 

straight with the anticipation 

it will merely struggle through 

the revs, but the moment the 

throttle goes full, suddenly the 

engine comes to life with the 

kick of 207 ponies. The struggle 

here is that you had just begun 

to relax your kidneys when 

suddenly they are shot out your 

backside. The theory behind 

this phenomenon is part down 

to the ride-by-wire throttle 

setup and a good chunk down 

to the ShiftCam motor. It also 

goes some way to help curb 

the shortfall of the inline-four, 

screamer motor, a format 

that traditionally offers huge 

punch down the straights but is 

clumsy within the turns. 

Where some manufacturers 

seem to base their superbike 

ergonomics on the dimensions 

of smurfs, BMW has hired 

Hans, who moonlights as a 

heavyweight kickboxer, to 

model theirs. There’s enough 

room to conduct a gymnastics 

tournament. 

The electronics were never 

noticed, meaning that they’re 

either working exceptionally 

well or are not working at all 

and will be sorely missed when 

they are suddenly needed. The 

quickshifter is one of the best 

available anywhere – further 

begging the question of why the 

system on BMW’s boxer motors 

is so awful – and the TFT dash 

is magnificent, especially in 

track display mode. 

On the race track, some 

little flaws do sneak their way 

through the net. The brake 

callipers used are from some 

company you have never 

heard of and have the letters 

“BMW” emblazoned on them. 

There are stories that Brembo 


Big thanks to Daly Motorrad 

Klerksdorp for loaning us their 

Demo M Sport model to test. 

The bike is available for sale so 

contact them as it is a gem! 

World of Carbon 

BMW S1000RR 

couldn’t supply them with 

their latest goods because of 

some contract with Ducati, so 

BMW went elsewhere. While 

suspicious to begin with, they 

do stop the motorcycle faster 

than hitting a concrete wall 

and will serve it well during an 

emergency. The problem is that 

braking on a racetrack is less 

about grinding to a halt and 

more about control. 

The rider squeezes the brake 

hard in a straight line and then 

slowly releases the brake as 

the bike leans more and more 

into the turn. There’s a lot of 

feel required, a problem when 

the brakes feel more like a light 

switch than a dulling knob. 

The electronic suspension 

will cater for various roads 

and tarmac but tend to get 

somewhat overwhelmed when 

braking hard into a bumpy turn, 

especially when the brakes let 

go a little too suddenly. 

These matters of concern 

manifest strictly when ridden 

hard on the race track, whereas 

the public road should be 

nothing but bunnies and 

rainbows. However, we are 

not on the public road, so let’s 

move on to something a little 

more fitting. 

Here we have the race bike of 

Bert Jonker, the man behind 

World of Carbon, who nervously 

let Rob and I lap Red Star at 

speed mere days before the 

start of his racing season. No 

pressure. 

From a technical point of 

view, this bike remains mostly 

standard with no performance 

mods to the motor, the frame, 

the brakes and the electronics 

beyond what is “standard” 

in the M Package. What it 

does have is an addition that 

improves the handling, the 

brakes, the acceleration and the 

lap times more than anything 

else: an aftermarket fairing. 

The improved performance 

is partially down to the lighter 

weight of the thinner panels 

and the removal of lights 

and flickers, but it is mostly 

down to how much less the 

racing kit costs. Have you ever 

priced a standard road kit on 

“Where some 

manufacturers seem 

to base their superbike 

ergonomics on the 

dimensions of smurfs, 

BMW has hired Hans, 

who moonlights as a 

heavyweight kickboxer, 

to model theirs. There’s 

enough room to 

conduct a gymnastics 

tournament.” 


a superbike? Especially 

a BMW? You’ll need to 

harvest at least four 

healthy kidneys to pay 

for it. This has a profound 

effect on the psyche of a 

rider causing less braking, 

turning, accelerating and 

lap times. 

More so than a mere 

fairing, World of Carbon 

has also splashed it 

through their product 

catalogue. The goods are 

quality and therefore not 

cheap, but cost is merely a 

matter of context: there’s 

a carbon-fibre frame 

cover that costs a good 

deal but much less than 

a new frame, there’s a 

carbon-fibre swing-arm 

cover that costs much 

less than a swing-arm, a 

carbon-fibre tank cover 

that costs less than a tank, 

a carbon-fibre hugger 

that costs less than the 

original, a carbon-fibre 

mudguard that also costs 

less than the original and 

a brake lever protector 

that costs a kak-load less 

than flipping over the 

handlebars. 

The rider peace of 

mind doesn’t stop there, 

because Mr Jonker 

has also fitted M-rear 

sets, GB Racing engine 

covers, a lighter Lightek 

fuel cap and a slip-on 

exhaust from his very 

own Bertech Racing 

brand. Then, as an added 

measure, there’s a full 

set of Ohlins Racing 

suspension, both forks 

and shock. 

The full tally of extras 

on this machine is a calm, 

cool R200,000. 

Immediately, the race 

seat is higher than the 

standard one leaving the 

rider more tippy-toed in 

the pits. Start the motor 

and the Bertech exhaust 

blisters your eardrums as 

it barks into life. 

“Immediately, the race seat is higher 

than the standard one leaving the rider 

more tippy-toed in the pits. Start the 

motor and the Bertech exhaust blisters 

your eardrums as it barks into life.” 


SMG Motorrad Umhlanga 

Umhlanga Arch, 1 Ncondo Place, 4319 Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal 

Tel: 031 502 9800. Email: colin.mackrory@smg.co.za 

G 310 GS, 2020 

Delivery mileage. 

R72 900 

R nine T Racer, 2020 


R140 900 

R nine T Pure, 2020 


R139 000 

C 400 X, 2019 

800km. 

R109 900 

F 750 GS, 2020 


R163 450 

F 850 GS, 2019 

5 800km. 

R169 900 

R 1200 GS, 2018 

7 800km, Headlight/radiator guards, Spots. 

R185 000 

R 1200 GS, 2017 

14 800km, Full crash bars, Adv bash plate. 

R175 000 

R 1200 GS, 2017 

58 500km, Full crash bars, Frame guards. 

R129 000 

R 1250 GS Exclusive, 2020 

350km. 

R259 900 

R 1250 GS Exclusive, 2019 

3000km, Crash bars, Spots. 

R249 900 

R 1250 GS Adventure, 2020 

Delivery mileage, HP model. 

R295 300 

S 1000 RR, 2018 

17 000km, – Full Akrapovic exhaust. 

R210 000 

R nine T Scrambler, 2019 

1 000km. 

R150 000 

K 1600 GTL, 2014 

49 000km. 

R155 900 

SMG Motorrad North Coast 

2 Bauxite Bay, Alton, Richards Bay, 3900. Tel: 035 426 0020. Email: colin.mackrory@smg.co.za

Freed from the constraints 

of bankruptcy in the event of 

a crash, a new lease on life 

emerges as the bike tosses into 

corners with increased vigour, 

spurred on by a rider with an 

unburdened mind. Apart from 

psychological freedom and a 

mildly lighter ride, the biggie 

bolt-on bits are the Ohlins 

shock and forks that transform 

this machine into a race bike in 

a fundamental way. Where the 

standard suspension buckles 

under the strain of hard braking 

while turning in, the Ohlins laps 

it up, letting the front wheel 

burrow into the tar seemingly 

impervious to bumps. Roll on 

the gentle throttle and the rear 

settles the bike into a calm, 

collective curve before the hell 

that is full-throttle is unleashed. 

We have ridden heavilykitted 

race bikes before and 

marvelled at their seemingly 

endless competence, but what 

is more remarkable is the 

level standard road bikes find 

themselves. A good rider on 

a standard bike can push into 

the mid-pack of a race field, 

causing emotional strain for 

those behind him on bolstered 

race machines. As unbelievable 

as modern machines are, they 

will not grace the podium 

steps. For that, you need a little 

bit of suspension and a lot of 

psychology. 

In more extreme cases, 

like a National Superbike 

Championship, you might also 

need the bike Rob is about to 

ride… 


ROB SAYS 

It’s felt like an eternity since I first got to test the all-new BMW 

S1000RR at last years world launch in Portugal. I was blown 

away by it then and I was blown away but it now again! 

BMW have done an amazing job with the new bike. The previous 

gen was well loved by many, especially here in SA. I never really 

got to grip with it. Yes it was back to the future fast, but it was very 

stubborn in many ways and that’s what got my back up. 

The new machine is faster, stronger, just better in every aspect 

and not just by a little bit. Its back to the future 2 and 3 fast and all 

that stubbornness that the previous bike had is all gone. It now 

wants to help you go faster and enjoy your ride more, rather than 

wanting to just scare the living hell out of you. The electronics 

package on the new machine is phenomenal assisting and 

embracing the ride rather than taking over and spoiling it. 

Apart from more power and better electronics it’s in the 

handling department where the new Beemer really impresses me. 

The M Sport model we tested here comes standard with those 

carbon wheels and along with the overall load shedding and 

shorter wheelbase the Germans have now created a machine that 

enjoys going into corners. It now also like staying there, something 

the previous gen struggled with. Holding a line and putting the bike 

where YOU want it rather than where IT wants to go is the biggest 

highlight for me. After all, what’s all that power if you can’t control 

it - and that was my biggest gripe with the older models - I never 

really felt in control, whereas now with the new machine I feel in 

full control and like a superstar rider! 

So, can it get any better? Well, of course it can. Just shed even 

more weight, add a few more ponies, a race fairing kit and some of 

the finest carbon fibre parts your eyes will ever see... 

The World of Carbon race bike masterpiece you have just had 

the honour of gazing your eyes upon over the past few pages is just 

that - a masterpiece. Everything just looks better when dressed 

in carbon fibre, especially when it’s as good as World of Carbon’s 

products. Just imagine Pamela Anderson dressed in a carbon fibre 

swimsuit in Baywatch - even more mouth watering for sure! 

The look and sound of the Burtech pipe just adds to the bikes 

overall flair. The rumble from start up just sends happiness all 

through your body and this is amplified while out and track and 

hearing it in full flight. 

Gone is the standard M Sport electronic suspension and 

replaced with Ohlins cartridge forks and even though no setup 

had been done the bike felt on point and hit every marker and apex 

with no hesitation. It’s crazy to think that this bike was literally just 

slapped together and no setup has been done with electronics or 

suspension. I have been told that I can test the bike again later this 

year when more has been done so now my nights will be spent 

dreaming of that day. 

My only real complaint on both the stock and racebike, and it’s 

the same complaint I had on the world launch test, comes in the 

braking department. Don’t get me wrong, the brakes work really 

well I just don’t like the feel from the lever. It just lacks that initial 

bite. They seem to get better the harder you pull the lever and that 

for me is a tad bit off putting. 

A big thanks once again to Daly Motorrad in Klerksdorp for 

assisting us with their S1000RR M Sport model for this test and 

to Roberto Jonker from World of Carbon for letting us test his 

beautiful creation. 


EXCLUSIVE LOCAL TEST: 2020 SUPABETS BMW S1000RR RACER 

Words: Donovan Fourie | Pics: Beam Productions 

LETHAL 

WEAPON 3 

After 15million messages and 10million calls we finally got the chance 

to test the Supabets BMW S1000RR. The new one that is, the 2020 M 

sport version. But on arrival at the track top tech Dean Ferreira rolled 

out both Lance Issacs 2019 and 2020 machines for Rob to test back-toback 

to feel first hand the big difference between the two. 

I had tested the 2018 version of the 

Supabets race machine and was 

keen to see the progression made 

by Dean and Lance on the 2019 

machine, and now with the new 

2020 bike. It’s been a frustrating 

time for Lance as he has had the 

2020 bike for sometime now but 

has not been able to unleash it 

due to all the drama with the stock 

bikes and all the recalls. So finally 

Lance was given the go ahead to 

use the new M Sport bike literally a 

week before the first SA SBK Series 

race of the season at Zwartkops. 

Lance rolled out the new 2020, 

which had not had 1 lap of testing 

prior, but also had the good old 

faithful waiting in the wings if 

needed. The 2019 bike was properly 

sorted and helped Lance to 2nd 

overall in the 2019 championship, 

missing out by only a few points at 

the final round. 

For 2020, Lance is determined 

to go one better and with the new 

machine is confidant of doing so, 

even at the tender age of 238... 

just kidding, think he’s around 42 

but no one actually knows for sure 

as it seems he has been around 

for decades. 

Lance was one of the first 

people to call me after the world 

launch of the new bike last year, 

asking if it truly was this amazing 

machine Zie Germans made it out 

to be. I sung nothing but praise to 

him about the new beast and he 

was eager to get his hands on it. 

But alas, he has had to wait a full 

year to finally race the new bike, 

but is now more ready than ever 

to take the fight to Clint Seller and 

the rest of the SA SBK boys. 



Good old faithful 

I started the day off on the 2019 

machine, which is fully kitted out 

with all the latest and greatest 

race parts. You don’t finish 2nd in 

a National championship without 

being something special and 

heading out of pit lane I could 

feel the power and potential 

beneath me. With the bike still 

fitted with the Metzeler Racetec 

tyres used in 2019 I was quickly 

able to get up to a fast pace. The 

bike is perfectly dialed in and 

was effortless to get around the 

normally tough and demanding 

RSR track. Everything worked 

perfectly in sync - from the 

throttle control to the electronics 

system. I was confidant enough 

from the word go just to hammer 

the throttle and know I would be 

assisted in the best way possible 

by the well setup system done by 

Dean himself. 

The bike was crazy fast but 

easy to handle - a testament to 

Dean and Lances’ hard work. For 

sure one of the best previous 

Gen S1000RR models I have ever 

tested, a big step up from the 

2018 version I rode back then. 

It all felt amazing until I 

swung my leg over the new 

bike, which made the 2019 spec 

seem like an absolute dinosaur. 

The ultimate 

track weapon 

It’s been a long time coming but 

it was well worth the wait. The 

delay with the bike allowed Dean 

to get as much info on the new 

machine as possible and even 


though they are still in the early 

days of development this thing 

is already a real weapon. If you 

look at their results first time out 

at Zwartkops, a 2nd in race one 

and 3rd in race two, with littleto-no 

time on the bike shows 

what a good package the new 

S1000RR M Sport is. 

Gone is the bulky, 

unnecessary road kit and in a 

fibreglass fairing kit by local 

man Michael Niemand from 

East London. Very impressive 

kit. Alpha Racing parts have 

been splashed all over the 

place and man is that stuff 

quality. Dean is the imported 

of the Alpha Racing products, 

which are perfectly suited to 

all BMW machines and used 

by just about every race team 

worldwide. A full Akro pipe 

replaces the not-so-nice-onthe-eyes 

stock pipe and cat, 

and as expected looks and 

sounds amazing. The dash has 

been setup in race mode so 

everything displayed from TC 

setting to lap times and even 

sector times. 

The seating position is spot 

on. Until now, only Italian 

machines felt perfectly suited to 

my style but this new BMW is, 

dare I say it, even more so. I fit 

snug into the bike and the bars 

“I knew it was going 

to be great but I 

didn’t expect it to be 

as good as it was. 

Everything was 

20-30% better than 

the 2019 model. It 

was faster, handled 

sharper and with 

more intent and the 

electronics package 

was better than 

any I have ever 

witnessed before.” 

are set right where I like them 

and the pegs are spot on. This 

set me up for what I knew was 

going to be a great ride. 

I knew it was going to be 

great, but I didn’t expect it to be 

as good as it was. Everything 

was 30-40% better than the 

2019 model. It was faster, 

handled sharper and with 

more intent and the electronics 

package was better than any 

I have ever witnessed before. 

Throttle response was instantly 

smooth and responsive and 

so easy to control. This bike 


At one stage I thought “why is Dean playing Tetris?” 

I then discovered he was actually diving into the BMW 

race ECU and playing around with setup. Carzy! 

was stupid fast, an overall 

masterpiece I think I called it 

when I returned to the pits and 

this was only after 1 session 

and 7 laps. 

On arrival back into the pits, 

Dean then informed me that for 

the second session he would 

be putting it in full power mode. 

Excuse me boet? Full power... 

what was it on? Intermediate, 

he replied. I replied something 

along the lines of him going 

and playing with himself, just a 

lot more vulgar than that. You 

mean there’s more power? Yes, 

lots more, but also loads more 

ways to help control it and use 

it to its full potential, said Dean. 

Ok then, let’s give it a bash. 

So, with full power mode 

activated, I headed out on track 

for my 2nd session. Just before 

leaving Lance told me that 

the bike would sound and feel 

as if it were about to break at 

low rpm, and that I shouldn’t 

worry, that’s just how it runs. 

So what basically happens is 

proper World SBK stuff, and 

Shez called it when I asked him 

how the racing was going at the 

National and he replied “Lance 

is f@$kin fast, and that thing 

sounds like a proper World SBK 

bike firing on 2 cylinders coming 

out of the turns”. And that’s 

exactly what happened. At first I 

did think it was falling to pieces, 

but I soon got used to it and 

started appreciating it more 

and more. After 2 laps I found 

myself literally getting into a 

corner and going from 30% 

throttle to full throttle straight 

away. No old school feeding it 

on, just zero to hero and let the 

bikes electronics and the way 

Dean had set it up do the rest. 

It truly is an amazing feeling 

and so confidence inspiring. I 

felt like a true racer once again 

and in the zone, as if I could 

do anything with the bike and 

get away with it. And this was 

all done on worn Bridgestone 

R11 tyres, which made it all the 

more impressive. 

Handling is superb in every 

way - into corners, mid turn 

and out, it’s just on rails and 

loves being thrashed around. 

Gone are the standard M Sport 

carbon wheels and replaced by 

BST carbon wheels, and just like 

the stock M Sport and World of 

Carbon bike before this overall 

steering and flex is brilliant. No 

stubbornness what so ever!!! 

The rest of the session I 

spent just enjoying what is 

truly an amazing piece of kit. 

Dean has done and incredible 

job at working with what he 

has at his disposal. There is 

still plenty to play with on the 

settings of the BMW race ECU 

and Dean has barely touched 

the surface but has already 

got it so right, so all I can say 

to the opposition is beware, 

Lance, Dean and the Supabets 

S1000RR M Sport are coming. 


RENT A 

RACER 

Dream of being a track racer? Or just 

want to tick riding on track off your 

bucket list? Well, now you can do either 

without forking out a fortune on your 

own track machine. 

Words: Rob Portman | Pics: Beam Productions 

Now, I’m sure most of you read 

that headline and your mind took 

you straight to that time you 

rented a car and, well, raced it. 

But here I am not talking about 

renting a car but rather actually 

renting well prepped trackbikes. 

Trust me when I say that there 

is nothing quite like riding a 

motorcycle around a track. 

Those who have experienced it 

will tell you that it’s an thrill that 

is hard to match. Forget about 

paying to go on a roller coaster 

at GoldReef City where you 

merely just sit as a passenger, 

here you get to rent the roller 

coaster ride and actually pilot it 

yourself. 

MotoRentals is a company 

started by Jason Wessels, a 

very well known and respected 

name in the SA motorcycle 

community, especially the 

racing scene. MotoRentals gives 

customers the chance to rent a 

well-prepped track/racebike to 

go and tick off the one thing that 

should be on everyone’s bucket 

list - trackday riding. 

On a recent visit to Redstar 

Raceway I bumped into Jason 

who was just rolling out his 

freshly stickered rentals 

machines. Ridgeway Racebar 

has come on board as a 

sponsor to MotoRentals and 

helped spruce up the 10 Honda 

CBR600RR trackbikes that Jason 

has available. A very pretty sight 

indeed seeing all 10 machines 

lined up on the front straight. 

Jason then offered me the 

chance to ride one of the bike 

to see and feel the quality 

of machine customers can 

potentially ride. I must say the 

bikes are well prepped and very 

neat in many aspects. Yes there 

one-or-two little flaws but 

nothing serious, and nothing 

that will put the rider in danger. 

The brakes work really well, 

that’s the first thing you need 

working properly, while the rest 

of the bike was a good deal of 

fun out on track. Decent track 

tyres are fitted along with basic 

suspension setup done by Jason 

himself. There is no modern 

day quickshifter and autoblip 

fitted, but then again the newby 

customer who this is really aimed 

at is not going to care about that. 

The bike I tested was proper 

fun and had enough zest to put a 

smile on this very spoilt journo’s 

face, so there is no doubt it will 

put an even bigger smile, and 

most likely a bit of brown in 

the undies of many customers 

experiencing track riding for the 

first time. 

So if you would like to give 

track riding a go but are too 

afraid to use your own machine 

for various reasons I suggest 

you get a hold of Jason and 

organise yourself a day on one 

of his bikes. Rental rates are 

really good and while Redstar is 

the main hub they do also offer 

the bike for Track-Daze events 

down at Phakisa and Kyalami. 

They also now have Honda 

CBR125, 150 and 250cc machines 

available, which can also be 

used at the new Formula K short 

circuit in Benoni. Don’t have track 

riding gear? No problem, they 

have full gear available for you 

to use at no extra charge. 

For more info email Jason@ 

moto-rentals.co.za. 

46 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020

REDBULL KTM RC16 

BRAD BINDER

2020 WORLD SBK 

CALENDAR

Contact 011-566-0333 for your nearest stockist

WORLD LAUNCH TEST: 2020 KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE R 

MANAGED 

ANGER 

The 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R has kicked off the year right with an 

extensive revision. KTM’s sportbike flagship comes out swinging with a 

completely new stiffened chassis, revised geometry, updated electronics, 

weight savings, and engine updates that tease out a few more ponies. 

Words: ultimatemotorcycling.com | Pics: Simpson (Świat Motocykli) 

Dubbed The Beast 3.0 by 

KTM, the 2020 Super Duke R 

marks the third iteration of 

the Austrian brand’s beloved 

V-twin powered wheelie 

ambassador. Importantly, all 

the updates aim at making 

it an even sportier, trackcapable 

weapon, without 

compromising its street 

readiness. 

I packed my bags and 

headed off to the curvy 

backroads of the Algarve 

region in Portugal—plus 

a visit to the dynamic and 

demanding circuit that is 

Autódromo Internacional do 

Algarve, otherwise known as 

Portimão—to see what the 

2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R 

had in store. Without further 

ado, here are the Fast Facts. 

1. The Beast’s 1301cc LC8 

75-degree V-twin heart 

is stronger than ever, 

producing three additional 

ponies on the trot. If you 

enjoy gigantic, quick-revving, 

torque-rich V-twins, look no 

further—your chariot has 

arrived. The Super Duke R 

has always delivered those 

qualities in spades, and 

now promises a dyno-chart 

stomping 180 horsepower 

at 9500 rpm and 140Nm of 

torque at 8000 rpm, with 

roughly 86-percent of that 

torque accessible at 4,500 

rpm. It’s buttery-smooth, 

linear, and comically 

powerful, yet maintains a 

civilized personality when 

cruising about town without 

the excessive lumpiness 

that twins of this size 


ENGINE 

1301 

2-CYLINDER 

V 75º 

POWER 

177 

HP @ 

9,500RPM 

TORQUE 

140 

NM @ 

8,000RPM 


“The Duke’s massive lowend 

grunt quickly blends into 

equally brilliant mid-range 

power. Here’s the real kick in the 

saddle—it doesn’t stop raging 

until you’re shaking hands with 

the rev limiter.” 

can develop. The monstrous 

V-twin wicks up without any 

hesitation, even when slogging 

along at city speeds, sending 

the rpm gauge flying as-youplease. 

The Duke’s massive 

low-end grunt quickly blends 

into equally brilliant mid-range 

power. Here’s the real kick in the 

saddle—it doesn’t stop raging 

until you’re shaking hands with 

the rev limiter. 

2. Those performance 

gains didn’t come out of thin 

air—they are a product of 

being able to bring it in more 

efficiently, among other 

updates. If you want to create 

more power, you’ll need to draw 

in more air and fuel, then expel 

exhaust gasses more effectively, 

so that’s just what KTM did. To 

that end, a wholly revised air 

intake through the center of the 

headlight has been introduced, 

coupled with a redesigned 

airbox that creates a ram-air 

effect at high rpm. Also, top-feed 

fuel injectors and more powerful 

coils have allowed engineers 

finer control with fueling, 

creating much better response 

at the throttle. Meanwhile, larger 

54mm and 60mm headers 

increase The Beast’s ability to 

eject gasses, while also making 

use of a dual catalyst solution. 

The main catalytic converter 

is under the motor, and a 

secondary unit is in the new 

muffler to beat emissions. 


front. ABS is permanently on 

in front to comply with Euro 

5. Also, Motor Slip Regulation, 

an electronic supplement to 

the mechanical slipper clutch, 

returns as an option. 

3. Several tweaks save 

weight and prepare the 2020 

KTM 1290 Super Duke R for 

Euro 5 emissions standards. 

Internally, the Super Duke R’s 

architecture returns—piston, 

crank, titanium valves, DLC 

coated finger-follower cams, 

as well as the bore and stroke, 

are identical. However, KTM 

engineers worked hard to meet 

Euro 5 without compromising 

performance goals. They also 

took the opportunity to shave 

nearly two pounds from the 

overall weight of the engine 

by slimming the engine cases 

and optimizing oil routing, 

reducing internal friction. Also, 

a lighter-weight water pump 

is new. Tighter machining 

tolerances for the cylinder, 

piston, and piston rings have 

been introduced, in the name of 

meeting and respecting Euro 5 

standards for consistency. 

4. The six-speed gearbox 

and slipper clutch received a 

serious update. New for 2020 

is the Pankl-built gearbox that 

now features a shorter shifting 

stroke and improved actuation. 

A new machined splined shaft, 

as well as new bronze and 

copper coatings on the shift 

forks, are responsible for the 

noticeable improvements over 

the earlier version. The new 

KTM 1290 Super Duke R shifts 

with precision and less effort 

than before. Better yet, the shift 

lever itself can be placed in a 

short or long-throw position, 

allowing owners a bit of finetuning. 

Feel at the clutch lever 

is light, and it isn’t nearly as 

grabby at lower rpm thanks to 

redesigned clutch plates that 

help with disengagement. 

5. KTM’s Quickshifter + is 

an option, but I’d consider 

it mandatory. The updated 

gearbox deserves a round of 

applause, though the encore is 

reserved for the new up/down 

quickshifter featuring improved 

kill times and superior shifting 

across the entyre rev range. 

Previously, the Super Duke R’s 

up/down quickshifter could 

induce lurching at lower rpm 

and wasn’t anywhere as refined. 

If you’re buying the new Super 

Duke R, make sure you get it. 

6. The 2020 KTM Super 

Duke R supports a full suite of 

electronic rider aids and brand 

new six-axis IMU. One of the 

significant electronic updates 

for 2020 is the inclusion of a 

six-axis IMU (previously a fiveaxis) 

that improves how ABS or 

traction control engages while 

factoring slide control into the 

revised TC algorithm. The Super 

Duke R features cornering Road 

ABS, nine-level lean-angledetecting 

traction control, 

cruise control, and heated grips. 

Launch control and Supermoto 

ABS are accessed through the 

optional track mode. Supermoto 

disables rear-wheel ABS, and 

removes pitch detection and 

cornering detection from the 

7. Three ride modes are 

available on the 2020 Super 

Duke R. Rain, Street, and Sport 

are standard on your Super 

Duke R from the showroom 

floor. Each preset riding mode 

modifies the throttle map, 

wheelie control and traction 

control intervention. Rain offers 

the most subdued throttle 

response and heaviest rider 

aide interventions – perfect for 

damp pea-soup fog conditions 

we met during the start of our 

street ride. Street kicks things 

up a notch with noticeably 

snappier throttle response 

and suitable settings. Sport is 

crisp and athletic, with lower 

TC settings and a WC level 

that will let you loft the front 

end – not too high or it will cut 

power, but enough to extend 

your tentacles with your fellow 

cephalopods while in the 

canyons. The track throttle map 

is the most direct connection— 

it’s as aggressive as it gets. 

8. The optional R7K plus 

Tech Pack includes the Track 

Pack, Quickshifter +, MSR, 

and adaptive brake light. This 

is the way the Super Duke R is 

meant to be experienced. The 

Track Pack unlocks Track and 

Performance modes, allowing 

riders to disable wheelie control 

and adjust TC on the fly with 

the new paddle clickers on the 

left-hand controls. Additionally, 

riders can change from Road 

ABS—which is used across 

all preset riding modes—to 

Supermoto ABS. Note that 

the Motor Slip Regulation is 

disabled in Track mode, or when 

Supermoto ABS is engaged. 

The two riding modes differ 

in that Performance mode 

will still display the KTM My 

Ride navigation, and cruise 

control can be used. If you 

don’t purchase the Track Pack, 

you’ll be stuck with the preset 

throttle, WC, and ABS settings. 

Depending on your comfort and 

skill level, it could be a necessity 

when hitting the track. 


9. Enough homework—tell 

me how the electronics work 

already! Road ABS works 

well, but can be conservative 

at times, especially for a bike 

with this type of performance. 

I would like to see a more 

aggressive ABS mode that 

retains cornering support, 

acting as a middle ground 

between Road and the 

racetrack-ready Supermoto 

setting. Supermoto mode 

performed superbly, letting you 

trail brake deep without a hint 

of intervention on track. The TC 

is quite linear, allowing more 

wheelspin and slip as you bump 

down from level 9 to 1. I found 

level 5 most comfortable on 

track; it subtly reigned in power 

when I needed it, and gave 

me some rope when I wanted 

it while riding the undulating 

circuit that is Portimão. Levels 

1-3 are recommended with slick 

tyres, and I’d agree with that, as 

it lets the leash out. 

“The Super Duke R is 

seemingly designed to do 

wheelies, as all that torque 

will quickly point the front 

wheel to the sky.” 

10. To wheelie control or 

not wheelie control, that is 

the question. The Super Duke 

R is seemingly designed to do 

wheelies, as all that torque will 

quickly point the front wheel to 

the sky. On the street, I kept WC 

on, and Sport mode will let you 

loft over rises for a laugh. On 

the track, WC will restrict power 

and help keep the front end 

planted when cresting over the 

many massive hills throughout 

Portimão, as it’s intended 

to do. Although my wheelie 

game needs work, I was able 

to manage the Super Duke R’s 

gentle skyward rise between 

the throttle and rear brake. With 

WC off, I found my exits to be 

much stronger. Interestingly, 

the 1290’s WC lacks multiple 

settings like many of KTM’s 

competitors; it’s either on or off. 

The WC setting asks riders a 

pretty simple question: Do you 

want to wheelie or not? 

11. An all-new, stiffer 

chassis has imbued the Super 

Duke R with greater track 

chops, without sacrificing 

street prowess. KTM engineers 

wanted more front-end feel, 

greater chassis rigidity, and 

improved handling—they got 

it all. Visually, the all-new 

steel trellis frame is a stark 

contrast to its predecessor, 

with additional bracing points 

towards the front of the engine, 

while also being 4.4 pounds 

lighter. Three millimeters of 

offset was added to the newly 

designed triple clamps, too. To 

improve anti-squat properties 

when on the gas, the swingarm 

was raised 5mm, in addition 

to being 15 percent stiffer. 

The shock also gets new 

linkage. The longest-in-class 

wheelbase grows 0.6 inches 

to 58.9 inches. Meanwhile, 

the rake has increased by 0.7 

degrees to 25.2 degrees. Finally, 

the engine is 38mm higher, 

raising the center of gravity, 

giving the rider greater leverage 

to overcoming those sizeable 

geometry dimensions. 

12. Those chassis changes 

have a considerable impact. 

From the moment we hit the 

street, it was apparent how 

much easier the Super Duke 

R steers and initiates a turn, 

even at low speeds. The stiffer 

chassis has traded some 

comfort in the name of stability, 

but that’s a compromise I’ll 

gladly make. When met with 

compression bumps and other 

inconsistencies, the Super 

Duke R is solid, gobbling them 

up and pressing on. All of that 

translates to the track, where 

the higher center of gravity 

makes it more agile, quickly 

getting on and off the edge 

of the tyre. At the same time, 

the new swingarm improves 

mechanical grip dramatically 

and helps cornering when hard 

on the gas. The front-end feel 

is superior, letting you put your 

faith in it as you barrel into 

turn 1 from, slowing from 160 

mph. In short, this chassis is 

fantastic. 


class. For taller riders, it offers a 

tremendous amount of legroom. 

New for this year are adjustable 

rearsets that allow riders to 

raise or push the footpegs back. 

You can also switch to GP-shift 

by moving one bolt, and choose 

from a long or short stroke 

on the shift lever. I never once 

found myself dragging toes, as 

I did on the previous bike. The 

4.2-gallon tank is redesigned 

and offers more support when 

braking, which genuinely helps 

reduce fatigue. 

13. Fresh suspension is 

aboard the Beast 3.0. A newly 

designed, fully adjustable 

43mm WP Apex fork can 

be tailored to your needs, 

and for the first time on a 

Super Duke R, it features 

adjustable spring-preload. 

On the street, the damping is 

controlled and supple enough 

to hide most of the rough 

stuff. On the track, it’s more 

than up to some hard-braking 

zones, while also keeping 

front end confidence high. A 

physically larger cartridge sits 

in those fork tubes, while a 

new machined recess in the 

fork caps prevents the springs 

from jostling around, improving 

the actuation. The all-new 

fully adjustable WP shock has 

separate damping reservoirs 

and circuits to ensure consist 

behavior as the shock heats 

up. It also comes with a remote 

spring-preload adjuster. In 

practice, the shock performed 

admirably, helping keep the 

Super Duke R nice and tidy on 

and off the circuit. 

14. The Beast hits the 

gym and cuts the fat. KTM 

engineers made it a goal to 

shave weight where they 

could. It wasn’t achieved by 

dropping weight from one part 

in particular; a few grams here 

and there all add up. It’s done 

in some smart ways, with the 

bodywork being thicker at 

stress points and thinner in less 

critical areas. Borrowing a page 

from the 790 Duke playbook, 

the Super Duke R’s subframe 

is now one lightweight unit 

of aluminum and composite 

materials, as opposed to the 

streel trellis subframe. The 

fuel tank also lost a half-gallon 

of capacity, further reducing 

the curb weight. Virtually all 

components from the frame, 

engine, suspension, wheels, 

have dropped a few grams. The 

result is a curb weight of 462 

pounds, about 10 pounds lighter 

than last year. 

15. Brembo delivers the 

goods once again. Up front, 

we have the coveted Brembo 

Stylema four-piston monoblock 

calipers clamping onto dual 

320mm floating rotors. In the 

rear, a dual-piston caliper 

seizes upon a 240mm rotor. In 

practice, the feel at the Brembo 

lever is impressive and offers 

more than enough stopping 

power to halt The Beast in its 

tracks. The rear, which you’ll use 

on this bike, has great feel and 

can be used to tighten up lines 

or as wheel control. 

16. The 2020 KTM 1290 Super 

Duke R gets some fresh kicks— 

it’s all-new wheels and tyres for 

the orange machine. Redesigned 

alloy wheels are lighter and 

stronger, and have 120/70 and 

200/55 Bridgestone Battlax 

Hypersport S22 tyres mounted. 

While they are Bridgestone 

S22s, Bridgestone developed 

the OEM rear tyre specifically for 

this model, utilizing the same 

carcass construction from its 

race rubber to improve grip and 

feel. As far as street tyres go, they 

communicate the information 

well and performed admirably on 

the track, session after session. 

17. The Beast is still one 

of the comfiest in the class. 

In 2020, the sub-33-inch 

seat height returns, with the 

handlebar lowered and pushed 

forward slightly to put even 

more weight over the front 

wheel. The handlebar can be 

adjusted forward nearly an 

inch. Even with those changes, 

it’s still easily one of the most 

comfortable machines in its 

18. A fresh five-inch TFT 

display and new hand controls 

await. The last Super Duke R’s 

TFT display certainly wasn’t 

bad, but this is clearer and 

displays information more 

thoughtfully. Importantly, 

new hand controls are much 

easier to use while riding, and 

KTM wisely included paddle 

buttons to adjust TC settings 

while in track mode. When 

in standard modes, those 

paddle buttons control your 

cruise control speed. There is 

Bluetooth connectivity and, 

when coupled with the KTM 

My Ride navigation app, riders 

will be able to see turn-by-turn 

navigation displayed, as well as 

answer phone calls, should they 

be utilizing an in-helmet audio 

system from Sena or Cardo. 

19. The 2020 KTM 1290 Super 

Duke R is a serious evolutionary 

step, and a welcome one at 

that. KTM engineers should 

pop the sekt, because the 2020 

Super Duke R is now equally 

at home on the street or track. 

Previously, I lamented about the 

Super Duke’s softer chassis when 

pushed on the circuit and now, 

you won’t hear me say such a 

thing. It feels sportier, fiercer, and 

far more pointed than previous 

generations while retaining the 

streetable mannerisms that 

make it suitable for a weekend 

getaway, quick canyon rip, or 

track day. Beyond that, the 

updated TC is stellar. Do you like 

insane amounts of torque and 

power wheelies? Get yourself in 

the saddle of a 2020 KTM 1290 

Super Duke R as soon as possible. 

For more info regarding price 

and availability contact your 

nearest KTM dealer. 


JOIN THE 

WINNING TEAM 

WP is expanding its footprint in South Africa 

and is looking for professional business 

partners that can bring the exciting PRO 

COMPONENTS range of WP to the market. 

Are you a suspension expert and interested 

in becoming one of our WP Authorized 

Centers? Please send an enquiry to franziska.brandl@wp-suspension.com 

so we can 

take the first step in getting you in front. 

WWW.WP-SUSPENSION.COM

WORLD LAUNCH TEST: 2020 KAWASAKI Z H2 

SUPERCHARGED 

NAKED 

From the moment the Kawasaki H2 was released, 

motorcycle enthusiasts have been clamoring for a naked 

version with all of its supercharged madness. Well, wait 

no more because the 2020 Kawasaki Z H2 has arrived, 

and it fills the capstone within the all-important, sporty 

yet street-friendly, Z-family lineup as its flagship model. 

Words & pics: ultimatemotorcycling.com 

Featuring an all-new 

chassis, comfortable 

ergonomics, and an updated 

electronics package, the 

rip-roaring Z H2 utilizes the 

same 998cc supercharged 

powerplant as the H2 SX 

line, with a few notable 

changes to fit this naked 

bike application. 

We packed our bags and 

headed off to Las Vegas 

Motor Speedway for two 

days of riding on the road 

course, the oval track, and 

the surrounding roads to 

feel the full spectrum of the 

Kawasaki Z H2. 

Despite the teethchattering 

40-degree 

weather, the Z H2 was able 

to prove that it has a whole 

lot more going for it than 

outlandish power, with 

versatility being a strong suit. 

Now, let’s roll the dice and 

get on with the Fast Facts. 

1. The 998cc 

supercharged inline-four 

engine is astounding, and 

not just because of all 

that raw power. The Z H2’s 

supercharged powerplant is 

amazingly smooth. It does 

not lug. It does not rattle. It 

is the definition of refined. 

Due to those qualities, I’d 

go as far as describing its 

197 horsepower at 10,500 

rpm and 137Nm of torque 

at 9500 rpm as friendly. 

Power on this motorcycle is 

omnipresent, and it builds in 

a predictable, linear fashion. 

But, make no mistake, the 

stunning acceleration will 

make you feel like you’re 


ENGINE POWER 

TORQUE WEIGHT 

998 197 137 239 

CC 

4-Cylinder, DOHC, 

4-Valve, LC, 

Supercharged 

HP @ 13,500RPM 

NM @ 8,500RPM 

WET WEIGHT 


Chuck Yeager breaking the 

sound barrier when you hold 

the throttle wide-open. The Z 

H2 is as happy plodding along 

on city streets as it is running at 

full-chat around the oval track, 

where I reached speeds of 168 

mph and, yes, it still had much 

more in it. I, however, did not. 

2. While the Z H2’s engine 

is essentially the same as 

what’s powering the H2 SX 

lineup, though there have 

been crucial changes to give 

it more low-end and midrange 

oomph. To that end, 

Kawasaki engineers developed 

new model-specific fuel maps, 

and an entyrely new exhaust 

system with longer header 

pipes, that prioritizes low-end 

and mid-range power while 

meeting Euro 5 emissions 

standards. The final piece of 

the puzzle is shorter final-drive 

gearing. In comparison to the 

H2 SX, the Z H2 has far more 

snap and responsiveness at 

low rpm, which I noticed while 

tip-toeing around the chilled 

road course and on the street. 

My, oh my, is it easy to pick up 

the front while exiting corners, 

giving you a taste of that naked 

bike hooligan goodness. 

3. Supercharging ain’t easy, 

and the Z H2 has some tricks 

up its sleeve. The prominent 

asymmetric ram air duct 

helps this beast gulp down 

air, and does so with the 

most direct path 

into the engine, maximizing 

performance and efficiency. 

The 69mm supercharger 

impellor, which is specific to the 

H2 SX and Z H2, is machined 

with a five-axis CNC mill to 

create the six full-length 

blades at the tip, down to the 

dozen shorter blades at the 

base. This allows a broader 

spread of power. The impellor 

is also responsible for the 

chirping sound you hear when 

decelerating. Commonly, 

superchargers require 

intercoolers, but they add 

weight. Kawasaki engineers 

managed to sidestep the 

issue by utilizing 

an efficient 

design 

that 

doesn’t raise the compressed 

air temperature excessively. 

Direct oil-jet cooling also 

gives critical components 

a refreshing spritz of oil to 

ensure proper lubrication and 

operating temperatures. Lastly, 

cast pistons are used as they 

are essential in such highperformance 

applications. 

4. The slick six-speed 

dog-ring transmission comes 

equipped with an up/down 

quickshifter and an assistand-slipper 

clutch. The gearbox 

on the Z H2 is a peach, with 

its precise, easy shifting. As 

if that weren’t enough, you’ll 

never need to fiddle with the 

relatively light clutch unless 

you’re coming to a stop, thanks 

to the quickshifter that works 

well in either direction. Kawasaki 

does state that you should 

only utilize it when the engine 

is spinning above 2500 rpm; 

on this motorcycle, that’s easy 

to comply with. The slipper 

function helps sort out any 

hamfisted downshifts you might 

make, alleviating wheel-hop and 

keeping you out of the dirt. 

5. Ride-by-wire throttle 

paves the way for three 

preset and one customizable 

ride mode. Once behind the 

handlebar of the Z H2, riders will 

have the choice of Sport, Road, 

Rain, and Rider modes. As you 

might have guessed, the modes 

adjust the levels of traction 

control, throttle response, 


and all other electronic aids. 

Interestingly, Sport and Road 

share a throttle map, which is a 

sporty pairing well suited with 

the H2’s personality. At higher 

rpm, a bit of abruptness can be 

felt when initially closing the 

throttle, though it doesn’t upset 

the chassis. TC is bumped down 

to the lowest setting in Sport, 

giving you plenty of leeway; 

Road reigns it in a bit. Rain cuts 

power and softens the throttle 

considerably, while also jacking 

up TC to its maximum settings. 

Rider mode allows the owner to 

customize the Z to taste. 

6. A full suite of IMUsupported 

electronics is 

standard on the 2020 Z H2. As 

linear and easy to control as the 

supercharged engine is, it’s still 

good to have state of the art 

technology watching over your 

shoulder. Standard features 

assisted by the six-axis 

Bosch IMU include cornering 

ABS, three-level lean-angledetecting 

traction control, 

wheelie control, slide control, 

cruise control, and launch 

control. Also, three power 

modes are available—Full (full 

power), Middle (75 percent 

power), and Low (50 percent) 

let you tailor the maximum 

output to your needs. 

7. Let’s crunch the numbers 

and dive into the electronics. 

Kawasaki approaches the Z H2 

with a mind for simplicity and, 

while that strategy restricts 

certain types of adjustment, it 

isn’t something I’d be critical 

of as this isn’t a track-focused 

motorcycle. Still, the Z H2 is a 

street bike, so I want things to 

be as easy as possible. ABS is 

paired with the selected ride 

mode and works quite well. 

I tested this in a chicane set 

up on the oval track, slowing 

from 160+ mph, down to a slow 

2nd gear corner. ABS engages 

under extreme braking, but it 

won’t make the lever go numb, 

“Overall, it has a more compliant chassis feel to 

it. It isn’t as stiff as a ZX-10R or as soft as the H2 

SX SE sport tourer...” 

preventing you from slowing 

properly. The three-level TC 

also integrates WC; they are 

not adjustable separately. 

TC levels 1 and 2 let you loft 

the front under a power 

wheelie for quite a while, and 

intervention is progressive 

throughout each setting. 

8. An all-new steel trellis 

and swingarm are unique 

to the 2020 Kawasaki Z H2. 

One of the most significant 

challenges facing Kawasaki 

engineers was the steel trellis 

frame. They needed it to be 

strong enough to handle 

the power and weight of the 

platform, without making it 

too stiff or uncompromising 

for the road. To solve that 

issue, an all-new trellis frame 

was developed, along with a 

stronger, yet lighter doublesided 

swingarm. In practice, the 

Z H2 communicates everything 

to the rider nicely, and is a 

neutral handling machine with 

updated geometry figures, 

when compared to its cousins. 

The Z H2 boasts a tighter, more 

sporting 57.3-inch wheelbase 

than the H2 SX platform, but 

a slightly relaxed 24.9-degree 

rake for improved stability. 

9. Fully adjustable Showa 

suspension takes care of the 

rough stuff. There is a 43mm 

SFF-BP fork with a linkageassisted 

shock. Together, 

they do well to soak up most 

of the bumps and bruises of 

the road, featuring an initial 

setup that leans towards the 

comfortable side. Cranking the 

spring-preload and damping up 

will have you feeling too much 

of the road for my taste. While 

that’s good for high-speed or 

heavy braking, I opted for a more 

casual setup off-track. It doesn’t 

make the Z H2 as pointed as I 

experienced on the road course 

and oval while going flat out, but 

is far more pleasurable on the 

mean streets. 

10. The Z H2 is downright 

gentlemanly when it comes 

to handling. Overall, it has 

a more compliant chassis 

feel to it. It isn’t as stiff as a 

ZX-10R or as soft as the H2 

SX SE sport tourer, striking a 

solid middle ground between 

them. It comfortably leans 

onto the edge of the tyre and 

transitions well, with no real 

effort being exerted on the 

bike. The Z H2 doesn’t steer too 

quick or too slow. It has just the 

right amount of sportiness for 

a spirited pace, and is surefooted 

on the edge of the tyre. 

There is some suppleness to 

the chassis, and I attribute that 

to its hefty 527-pound curb 

weight. Regardless, it never 

gets out of shape when hitting 

big compression bumps. 

11. Brembo M4.32 calipers 

keep the shiny side up. 

Kawasaki opted for dual 

Brembo 4-piston M4.32 

calipers to clamp onto the 


14. A stellar full-color 

TFT display delivers all the 

information you need, and 

more. Once at the grips of the 

Z H2, you’ll be eyeing down the 

attractive TFT display that’s 

shared across several Kawasaki 

models. It works and looks the 

business, relaying everything 

you’d ever need to know at a 

glance, in or out of direct light. 

There are also two display modes 

available. My favorite feature 

is the dash’s retention of my 

maximum attained lean angle. 

“The 2020 Kawasaki Z H2 is a worthy 

addition to the Z family, and all gearheads 

owe it to themselves to experience it.” 

320mm floating rotors. Now, 

before you scoff at the lack 

of M50s or Stylemas, know 

that these have immense 

stopping power and great feel 

at the Nissin master cylinder. 

I enjoyed these binders over 

some motorcycles that are 

equipped with pricier Brembo 

kit. The one critique I do have is 

the inclusion of rubber hoses 

as opposed to steel-braided 

brake lines, especially on a 

high-performance motorcycle 

that stresses braking systems. 

I didn’t feel any worrying brake 

fade, but it was also extremely 

cold, and it might be a different 

story in the summer. Adjustable 

levers are also in the mix. In the 

rear, a dual-piston caliper grabs 

onto a 250mm rotor and has an 

equally good feel. 

12. Pirelli Diablo Rosso 

III tyres are OEM fitment. 

Featuring a single compound 

front tyre and dual compound, 

the Diablo Rosso III tyres are 

an excellent option for those 

who will ride primarily on the 

street—wanting to do a bit of 

sporty riding, while also getting 

considerable mileage out of 

them. 120/70 front and 190/55 

sizes are common, so if owners 

want to go with something else, 

they’ll have plenty of options. 

Off the showroom floor, the 

Pirellis are a great fit for the 

2020 Kawasaki Z H2. 

13. All-day ergonomics is 

a crucial component of the 

Z family. The Z H2’s upright 

ergonomics make riding around 

town, hitting the canyons, 

or even the track, a relaxed 

affair. The riser handlebar is 

noticeably taller than the H2 SX 

platform, creating a sporty, yet 

neutral riding position. Its 32.7- 

inch seat height is accessible 

for my 32-inch inseam, and 

I’m able to get my boots on 

the ground. That’s most likely 

because Kawasaki made the 

subframe relatively narrow 

where the seat meets the tank. 

The five-gallon fuel tank makes 

for an excellent anchor when 

leaned over or braking and 

gives you considerable range. 

Once at pace, you’ll be pleased 

to learn that wind protection 

is much better than you might 

assume, and you can still tuck in 

for better aerodynamics. When 

riding casually, the Sugomistyled 

machine does a decent 

job of protecting the rider from 

windblast. 

15. Track rides, collect data, 

and take calls with Bluetooth 

connectivity through the 

Kawasaki Rideology app. Should 

you choose, you’ll be able to pair 

your mobile device with your Z 

H2 and track virtually every single 

aspect of your ride. Info such as 

speed, rpm, gear position, throttle 

position, front brake pressure, 

acceleration/deceleration, 

current mileage, and coolant 

temperature are all recorded 

once you’ve saved your ride. 

That’s how I discovered that I hit 

168 mph on the Las Vegas Motor 

Speedway oval track. The app 

also retains basic information 

about your motorcycle, such as 

mileage and fuel levels, allowing 

you to check that information 

even when the key is out, and its 

nowhere near you. 

16. The 2020 Kawasaki Z H2 

is a worthy addition to the Z 

family, and all gearheads owe it 

to themselves to experience it. 

Kawasaki’s line of supercharged 

models is like nothing else on 

the market. Nothing makes 

that nearly 200 horsepower in 

such an approachable, smooth, 

and friendly manner. The trick 

to the Z H2 is that the rider 

chooses how friendly it will be. 

You can plod around town at a 

turtle’s pace, or experience the 

face-melting acceleration on 

tap—it’s up to you, and it does 

both excellently. A comfortable 

chassis and commendable 

electronics package harnesses 

the enormous power, while 

enjoyable ergonomics help 

highlight how versatile the Z H2 

is. The 2020 Kawasaki Z H2 might 

be built for speed, but it’s far from 

being a one-trick-pony. 

The new Z H2 is set to arrive in 

SA end of March with a price tag 

of around R350k. Call Fire it Up 

Kawasaki now for more info. 


WORLD LAUNCH TEST: 2020 HONDA CBR1000RR-R & SP 

Words & pics: Simpson (Świat Motocykli) 

CUTTING 

EDGE 

For nearly 30 years, Honda has faithfully defended the idea of “balanced power” 

in sports motorcycles. Fireblade has always had less horsepower than the 

competition and, with perfect handling, proved that more is not needed. However, 

we have entered electronic times, and in them the term “power beyond control” 

ceases to exist. So Honda banded a unique team that built a unique motorcycle. 


ENGINE POWER 

TORQUE WEIGHT 

999 217 113 201 

CC 

Liquid cooled 

4-stroke 16valve 

DOHC, Inline 4 

HP @ 14,500RPM 

NM @ 12,500RPM 

WET WEIGHT 

KG 

“Yes, it’s more powerful than 

before and yes, it is more physically 

demanding on track but it’s not a 

handful to ride and yes it still feels 

every inch like a Fireblade.” 

If you’re a regular 

sportbike nutter, you’ve 

already caught “Theory 

R”. It has long been known 

that the more the letter “R” 

appears in the name, the 

faster the motorcycle is. 

While S generally evokes 

emotions , R means having 

fun and going fast. 

We all know that the 

“RR” in Kawasaki meant 

homologation versions 

for racing motorcycles 

and BMW once dominated 

the Superbike class with 

the S1000RR model, and 

Suzuki’s GSX-RR is the 

prototype machine from 

MotoGP racing. 

Honda had previously 

marked the top Fireblade 

model the CBR 1000RR, 

so they had no choice but 

to go a step further with 

this revolution. Dear Sir or 

Madam, before you is the 

motorcycle with the most 

R’s: The Honda CBR 1000 

RR-R Fireblade! 

THIS IS a revolution 

The new Fireblade has 

been booming for the past 

5 years. Honda fans were 

causing the commotion, 

not the producer himself. 

The hunger for the rival 

CBR was so huge that the 

fantasies of the media 

and motorcyclists went 

really far. Most fantasies 

revolved around changing 

the arrangement of 

cylinders from four-row 

to V-4. Finally, the fourcylinder 

engine in the V 

system is dormant in the 

RC-V racing model, which 

over the past 9 years 

brought 8 championship 

titles in the constructors 

category. So when Honda 

presented the new “Fajer” 

a lament appeared that 

the engine still has an 

in-line system. It’s time 

to reconcile themselves 

with the fact that the CBR 

will always be that kind of 

engine. Maybe someday we 

will see the successor to 

the legendary RVF model, 

but writing about such a 

possibility, we sail back 

into the depths of fantasy. 

Welcome to Earth again, 

I would like to inform you 

that the motorcycle you 

are reading about is a 

revolution. The biggest 

change did not manifest 


itself as a unique frame or 

an innovative engine, but in 

the Japanese approach. The 

toned-down manufacturer 

has made a turn. The board 

decided that if people look at 

sport bikes through the prism of 

performance on the track and 

necessarily need the maximum 

power value with two in front, 

then they will get what they 

want. This is the first Fireblade, 

which is a race motorcycle 

with road approval , not a road 

machine capable of driving fast 

on the track. Trust me that this 

small change in theory makes a 

huge difference. 

Some technology 

The engine is a completely new 

unit, in which the sum of small 

changes gives an impressive 

effect. By measuring the 

power on the shaft, 217HP was 

achieved. That’s exactly what 

it needed for the Fireblade to 

leave many behind instead of 

standing on a straight line. A 

recipe for such power from a 

capacity of 1000cc? Turnover! 

Lots of turnover! Maximum 

power is obtained at 14,500 

rpm, and the ignition is cut off 

after exceeding 15,000rpm on 

the tachometer. Until recently, 

only 600cc class shafts were 

turning at such speeds! 

Shifting the ignition cut-off 

moment and tossing air with 

gasoline into the cylinders is 

not as much of a challenge as 

making such an engine work 

for years. I had the opportunity 

to spend the whole evening 

with an engineer named 

Kensuke Mori, who was 

responsible for the engine. 

Interestingly, now that the 

project Fireblade has finished 

he will be moving to HRC 

(Honda Racing Corporation) 

and will be building another 

engine for the MotoGP teams. 

When asked about the life 

of the motor, he replied that 

it is standard for Honda 

motorcycles and mileages of 

100,000 km and more will not 

be a problem. At this point, he 

began to bore me with info 

about a new lubrication system 

for the piston bottoms and a 

separate coolant circuit that 

bypasses the radiator, which 

has a higher temperature 

and better balances the 

temperature of the cylinders. 

So I quickly beat the topic of 

power generation and said 

that they used their proven 

technology “tightening” it to 

the limits. When asked about 

the Shift-Cam system (patent 

from BMW) he said that they 

have similar technology but in 

a racing motorcycle it does not 

apply, because it is supposed 

to work at high speed, not 

low. It would unnecessarily 

complicate the construction. 

Apparently they are working 

on a racing camshaft timing 

system, but for now they focus 

on some solutions. 

“At the heart of the bike is an all-new 1000cc inline 

four-cylinder engine, designed from the ground 

up with the primary aim being to produce more 

power than any other Fireblade unit to date.” 

In the pursuit of revolutions, 

the diameter of the piston 

was increased and its stroke 

was shortened. MotoGP fans 

appreciate that these are the 

same values as in the RC213V 

(MotoGP machine). Further 

examples are cranks that no 

longer have nuts, and threads 

and intermediate mode for 

timing chain drives. Thanks 

to this, the chain is shorter 

and can work faster. The new 

Camshaft is key for the entire 

project. Glasses were replaced 

with pushers - So the spring 

and the valve work up and 

Techy Dash 

Crowning the cockpit of the 

2020 Fireblade is a very trick 

and well laid out TFT dash. I 

could go through the full remit 

of options and designs you can 

select but it’d run to the length 

of this piece already. What I 

can say is that it’s easy to read 

even with the massive amount 

of information that’s contained 

within it. 

Beneath the sheen of the TFT 

is an all-new box of tricks and 

parameters that monitor the 

bike’s behaviour. The biggest 

change that I could feel on 

track was the updated Honda 

Selectable Torque Control 

(HSTC). It’s a fancy on-brand 

name for traction control and 

for 2020 it’s had a new load of 

algorithms poured into the ECU. 

The new pile of zeros and ones 

means that the bike no longer 

detects a slip of the rear wheel, 

diving in and cutting all the 

engine power in the process. 

The update now measures the 

speed that the tyre is slipping, 

meaning it will only intervene by 

a specific and measured amount 

to achieve the desired result. 


down, which means lower 

inertia and the ability to work 

faster. Of course, we find a 

lot of elements covered with 

a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) 

coating that reduces friction. 

It requires a lot of air for the 

engine to work at such high 

revs generating huge power. 

An impressive air intake at 

the front of the machine is 

responsible for delivering it. In 

order to provide uninterrupted 

inflow, the traditional ignition 

was abandoned in favour 

of a proximity key. Also 

the steering damper was 

removed from the upper 

shelf area (traditional place 

for Fireblade). The electronic 

cupid wondered off to the 

front of the bottom shelf. 

The airbox intake manifold is 

almost straight, which forced 

the use of a special shape of 

valves that force the mix to 

spin. Certainly there are many 

more interesting nuances in 

the engine, but the dinner with 

Mori-San is over, and we are 

more interested in how the 

new stove works in full flight. 

“The fastest 600 I’ve 

ever ridden” 

This statement by a British 

journalist says it all. Pay 

attention to the chart from 

the dynamometer (pictured 

far right), which clearly shows 

that in the low and medium 

rev range the previous 

Fireblade is even slightly 

stronger than the 2020 model. 

However, if the motorcycle 

is to be racing, no one is 

interested in average revs but 

more the low down, just like in 

600cc class. 

Finally, I turn on the display 

mode, in which the indications 

appear only from 5000 rpm 

and I start playing high engine 

spin. After exceeding 7,000 

rpm, a strong thrust appears, 

and after 11,000 rpm I got 

what we’ve all been waiting 

for all these years! The new 

Fireblade goes crazy! 

After the first session, I 

got off the bike and among 

my fellow editors I could see 

approving nods. Impressions 

are phenomenal! It’s a really 

furious Japanese machine! I 

shoot it, the exhaust system is 

screaming heavily, and I shift 

through the next gears with 

an incredibly fast quickshifter! 

To play with gears I have to go 

“Honda engineers used the RC213V-S MotoGP inspired road-going 

machine as the performance benchmark for the development of 

the new Fireblade, which also draws on the RC213V-S for most of 

its new technology.” 

really fast. I pull first gear to 170 

km/h, second to 220 km/ h, and 

I catch fourth on 299 km/ h! 

It’s a pity that the motorcycle is 

limited to the aforementioned 

299 km/h. Certainly, someone 

will unlock it and check the 

maximum speed. 

The power comes linearly, 

and the electronic throttle 

is very precise, but with 

so much HP on board you 

need to be a pro to handle 

it without electronics. Most 

users, including myself, will 

enjoy traction control. The 

new Fireblade, in addition to 

using the six-plane Bosch IMU 

sensor, takes into account 

the speed of rear wheel slip. 

This means that the bike 

can now drive in controlled 

slides and sense when the 

loss of traction is in safety 

or not. Ultimately, I had the 

choice of either turning off 

the traction control and 

opening the throttle with a 

big handful at each exit, or set 

low levels of interference (1 or 

2) and try to find the optimal 

traction alone. I had to be 

careful then, because at full 

lean I felt the rear wanting to 

break traction. I control the 

throttle and the HSTC system 

guided me helping hone in 

my exuberance. On the Losail 

Above shows the dyno chart 

between old and new versions. 

Old being green and new being 

red. The way the new bike 

delivers the power is smoother 

and ultimately loads more. 


track there was a place where 

we could go full throttle to 

speeds over 260 km/h. At this 

speed and angle of folding, I 

could give the computer full 

control and feel the system 

working and assisting. The 

system kicked in, but the power 

regulation was not perfectly 

smooth, as in racing systems. 

This caused minimal pumping 

of the rear shock, which 

was handled by electronic 

suspension settings (we’ll get to 

that soon). I drew the attention 

of engineers, to which one of 

the testers showed me a rear 

tyre worn only after three 

sessions. It turned out that the 

Pirelli slicks could not cope with 

the rough asphalt track in Qatar. 

As assumed on my CBR’s new 

gum, the effect was smaller. So 

I can with a clear conscience say 

that the traction control is finally 

as it should be. Much better 

from the previous generation. 

I did not have any comments 

for the operation of the Wheelie 

Control system. The lifting 

effect can be adjusted and at 

the lowest interference the 

front went surprisingly high and 

then gently fell. Unfortunately, 

to turn it off completely one 

also needs to deactivate 

traction control. Fortunately, 

the three modes of the 

motorcycle can be personalized 

and one can switch between 

them quickly while riding. 

I would personally give up 

the Rain mode and replace it 

with another Sport or Track 

(we can have three different 

Track modes with settings for 

different tracks) with traction 

control turned off to show off 

from time to time. Despite the 

fact that around 7000 rpm 

there is a clear boost, “Fire” can 

be controlled on the rear wheel 

with great ease. 

Fireblade as we know it 

Control is the key word for 

every CBR motorcycle. In this 

case it is no different. I just 

complained about pumping 

and instability at 260 km/h. 

Know that it’s a complaint to 

look for any disadvantages. 

The truth is that competing 

motorcycles, in particular the 

Ducati Panigale and the new 

BMW S1000RR, are much 

less stable than the Honda. 

The thing is that in the age of 

electronics, manufacturers 

can afford flexible frames that 

improve the speed of direction 

change and grip in the corners, 

but on the other hand make it 

difficult to sense the traction on 

their own. In simplified terms, 

they are created for close 

co-operation with electronic 

systems, which is not bad, if 

we know how to use them. It is 

possible that Honda has found 

a golden mean. The frame has 

no stiffener at the back (shock 

absorber bolted to the engine 

block), and in some places the 

walls of the structure are only 

2mm thick. It is more flexible 

than the previous “Blade” but 

still gives great confidence 

while riding fast. Looking for a 

reference to the competition, 

I complained about the speed 

of moving the motorcycle from 

side-to-side when accelerating, 

which gave me a proposal to 

play with suspension settings. 

Throughout the session, Freddie 

Spencer (it couldn’t be better!) 

and a specialist from Ohlins 

worked with me. 

In the CBR SP model sits a 

semi-active suspension that 

adjusts the damping force 

depending on whether we are 

braking, accelerating or being 

folded. We can also separately 

set the overall damping 

characteristics of the fork and 

rear shock. All parameters are 

adjusted in the range of + 5 / 

-5, i.e. simplifying the work we 

stiffen (slow down) or soften 

(accelerate). We sharpened 

the machine’s geometry with 

a few clicks on the handle. 

We set the motorcycle so that 

it dives harder, but it gave 

more support at the rear. 

Effect? I started to feel like 

on my racing motorcycle! To 

clearly determine the speed 

of direction change compared 

to Ducati and BMW, we need 

a comparative test, but at the 

time I didn’t care about any 

other motorcycle! The new 

Fireblade has become the 

motorcycle of my dreams ... 

Seriously. If I only got rid of the 

ABS fuse, I would only have got 

off it once I had run out of fuel, 

used up all tyres available or 

died of exhaustion... 

It’s really a pity the ABS 

cannot be switched off as it 

did somewhat spoil what was 

almost the perfect ride. It did 

not intervene until the rear 

broke away from the asphalt 

under hard braking . A simple 

change and it would be brilliant 

but, no! The Japanese are 

the guardians of the rules ... 

Nevertheless, after this test I 

can happilly say that I would like 

to have one. I know that I often 

say that about motorcycles, 

but probably everyone wants 

to have a full garage. The new 

Fireblade proves that “Theory R” 

is well founded. This is a radical 

version of a motorcycle that 

many loved for years. Thanks to 

the power of the new CBR it is 

fast on in a straight line, thanks 

to electronics we can use this 

power in corners, and thanks to 

the brilliant chassis and brakes 

we can be really fast on the 

track. Now, I would like to put 

the CBR 1000 RR-R on the street, 

because I want to feel the full 

power and break all national 

speed limits in the first gear... 

The new Fireblade is set 

to arrive in SA around July in 

limited numbers at first so 

make sure you get to Honda 

East Rand Mall and book yours 

now. Tel Shaun on 011 826 4444 

for more info. 

Does the front 

end aero on the 

Fireblade do 

anything? 

The big talking point of this bike is 

the inclusion of the front fairing and 

its aerodynamic winglets, which 

Honda claim provides the same 

amount of downforce as the 2018 

RC213V MotoGP machine. 

Could I ‘feel’ the downforce on the 

track? I couldn’t put my finger on 

exactly where it was helping but 

the front end does feel extremely 

planted and very stable under 

heavy braking and at the point 

of turning in. It’s probably a 

combination of the electronic 

suspension, the added stability 

the downforce provides and also 

the super-sticky Pirelli Diablo 

Superbike slicks the bikes were 

shod with. Nevertheless, it’s a 

seriously impressive feeling, giving 

you the confidence to push on the 

brakes later and the throttle earlier. 


WORLD LAUNCH TEST: 2020 BMW F900R & F900XR 

THE NEW 

TWINS 

By now, you must all be familiar with BMW’s 

new 850cc Parallel twin engine that took 

over from the venerable F800 GS? Well – as 

inevitably happens, BMW saw more potential 

for that engine, bumped up the power a bit and 

fitted it into two exciting new road bikes in the 

guise of the F900R and the F900XR… 

Our Glenn Foley went over to the world launch 

to test both new twins. 


We were invited along to 

Almeria in Spain to sample 

the new bikes along with 

what seemed like the rest of 

the worlds press – and after 

3 flights we touched down in 

this historic holiday town for 

lots of riding. 

Sadly, at an event you 

don’t get to spend much time 

sightseeing and getting to 

know a place – but we’ll tell 

you this: We need to get back 

for a longer visit. The hotel 

where we were stationed 

is bang on the edge of the 

Mediterranean Sea. The city is 

not super large but it appears 

to be neat, clean and friendly. 

Take a short ride out of the 

city and you find yourself 

in the mountains and for a 

motorcyclist – that’s where 

the fun starts. Kilometre upon 

kilometre of perfect, twisty 

roads that carve their way all 

over the place. 

Motorcycle Nirvana? 

No question. If we’d had more 

time, we would have stopped 

here and there to take it all in. 

You ride through tiny villages 

that dot the mountains. There 

are hundreds of viewpoints 

all along the route with info 

boards that explain more 

about where you are… an 

awesome place – even a 

scooter would be awesome. 

And – people agree with us 

because we saw bikes of all 

shapes and sizes enjoying the 

twisties. A Yamaha Banshee 

quad screamed past in the 

opposite direction and we 

saw a couple of utility quads 

trundling along. Three wheel 

scooters are very popular and 

we saw a few heavily laden 

couples enjoying the crisp 

winter air. 

Upon our arrival we were 

hustled along to meet the 

teams responsible for the 

bikes. It was fascinating to 

listen to what actually goes 

into building bikes like these 

and they had the specialists 

– from the guy who designed 

the LED lighting system, to 

the guy who designed the 

TFT display and all of the 

connectivity features to share 

information and answer any 

questions. Also on hand were 

the horsepower, brake and 

suspension experts – so BMW 

really gave us a great idea 

about what makes these bikes 

tick. We were even graced 

with the Big Boss of Motorrad 

Dr Markus Schramm who 

shared some insights into the 

success story that is BMW. 


Globally, BMW is a real force 

to be reckoned with, they sell 

motorcycles all day long, all 

over the world – and with the 

addition of these two new 

models… they hope to sell even 

more. And we reckon that if the 

price is right, they should sell 

quite a few here. 

Two days of riding convinced 

us that BMW really has 

something quite lekker. 

Day 1 - Bright and breezy – we 

woke up to overcast skies and 

cold gusts of wind billowing 

down from the snowy mountain 

peaks. In my mad rush to get 

ready, I had packed a very light 

Tankwa summer jacket and a 

Unit fleece thinking that they 

would do the trick. Sadly, the 

fleece belongs to my eight year 

old son and it really did not fit… 

not ideal for a slightly more 

mature belly. So I managed to 

squeeze into that – but there 

was no chance of zipping it up! 

The jacket is airflow fabric, 

so that did little against the 

elements. It was going to be a 

fun day. 

Damn was I grateful for the 

screen on the XR – small, but 

effective. Easy to adjust up and 

that really helped to deflect the 

blizzard trying to bore holes 

into my chest. Thankfully, as 

the day wore on it warmed up 

somewhat – so all was not 

lost and it turned into a really 

brilliant ride. 

BMW worked out some 

simply spectacular routes 

with the mandatory coffee 

stop halfway and judging by 

the grins all round in several 

languages and accents, the bike 

was a hit with everyone. 

The route led all the way back 

to the hotel, where the team 

had to wrestle the electronic 

dongles (keyless keys) from our 

sweaty palms. 

Day 2 – The sun was shining 

and we suddenly realized that 

we were at the seaside. It was 

an absolutely perfect day to ride 

“BMW worked out some simply 

spectacular routes with the 

mandatory coffee stop halfway 

and judging by the grins all round in 

several languages and accents, the 

bike was a hit with everyone.” 

a motorcycle – and we did the 

previous days route in reverse 

– which was like a whole new 

ride. Too flippen cool! Guys 

and gals, you need to go riding 

in this place to understand. 

It would seem as though the 

Spaniards are unable to build a 

road that goes in a straight line 

for any length of time. 

A second day in paradise. So 

much fun. 

What makes the bikes tick? 

At the heart of these bikes – and 

I’m not going to bore you with 

too many technical details – is 

the new 900 engine. 

New? Well… yes! These bikes 

take over from the R800’s. 

As much as BMW’s new-ish 

850 is a good motor, this one 

is – well, better. More torque, 

more revs, more top-end more 

everything. And it’s very smooth 

to boot. This is all thanks to 

a slight rebore and some 

electronic upgrades. 

Bottom end torque is perfect 

for everything you’d like to do, 

the midrange rushes up to meet 

you – and while we did not run 

her at the top, BMW claims a top 

end at around the 220 KPH mark. 

On those roads we saw 180 odd 

quite comfortably on the “R” – 

one of the mad Russians says 

that he got to 210. 

The R and the XR share 

the same engine, electronics, 

gearing, wheels, brakes and 

chassis. The difference is in the 

ergonomics, and suspension. 

The R is a real Naked, raw and 

aggressive with shorter travel 


electronic suspension. The XR 

boasts a beautifully crafted 

mini-fairing and screen, with 

longer travel suspension and a 

more upright, less aggressive 

seating position. 

The bikes share an 

insane amount of electronic 

innovations from rider and 

suspension modes to that 

brilliant TFT screen that even 

measures your angle of lean. 

ABS, cruise control, quick 

shifter, Traction control… you 

name it and you can look it all 

up or chat to your dealer. 

Beefy Brembo brakes 

(thankfully) worked flawlessly, 

despite this riders lack of any 

kind of talent around the tight 

corners. Naturally, the tilt meter 

worked hard throughout with 

riders seeing who could get the 

greatest angle of lean. This guy 

did not win… 

the gridlock. That power is just 

perfect for getting away from 

the urban hustle and bustle. 

Pop your goose on the back 

and take off for the weekend 

in absolute comfort. This bike 

eats up the kilometres and the 

relaxed seating position and 

decent sized fuel tank will give 

you plenty of distance between 

refuels. They reckon you’ll use 

4.2 litres per 100. The plastic 

moulded tanks (15.5-litres vs 

13-litres on the F 900 R) that’s 

more than 300kms between 

top-ups. 

At the launch we did not go 

far enough to run out a full tank. 

Hats off to the BMW 

designers - the new 

F 900 XR is a proper 

looker from every angle. 

The F 900 XR 

In true BMW XR fashion, the 

900 is built for fast, comfortable 

cruising. For sure a perfect bike 

to use to work and back every 

day, neat, nippy, nimble (How’s 

that for the 3N’s?), with lots of 

power when you need to escape 


The F 900 R 

This is the grin stretcher of 

the two. They tell us that 

everything is shared in terms 

of performance but there 

is just something that is so 

much fun when you ride this 

bike. It’s pokey, compact and 

quite aggressive. The very 

nature of the bike is like that 

naughty oake on your shoulder 

whispering to go faster or hoik 

the wheel up into the air. 

It is very sporty, but it is by 

no means uncomfortable. Just 

more aggressive and tight. It 

feels more explosive in the 

greatest possible way. 

Instead of undertaking a 

guided tour like we did on the 

XR, the R kind of turned things 

into a dice. And that was just 

so brilliant! 

There is not much else to 

say. I was along on the launch 

with the very experienced Dave 

Cilliers and we looked at each 

other and both agreed that it’s 

really difficult to find anything 

that we do not like. Fact. 

Beemer has done an excellent 

job with these two – and we 

both reckon that both models 

should sell really, really well. 

Quality feel and finish. 

Comfortable, nimble, sporty, 

exciting… go and ride one when 

they arrive, you’ll see exactly 

what we mean… 

www.bmw-motorrad.co.za 

for your closest BMW dealer. 

AT A GLANCE: THE TWO BIKES 

THAT WE RODE WERE FULL 

HOUSE WITH ALL EXTRAS. 

1. Powering the F 900’s is the 

same engine as the F 850 GS, 

but it grows from 853cc to 895cc. 

The parallel-twin now produces 

105 horsepower at 8750 rpm and 

92Nm of torque at 6500 rpm. 

BMW says more than 83Nm of 

torque is available from 4500 to 

8500 rpm. The engine also uses 

two opposed counterbalance 

shafts to increase smoothness 

across the rev range. 

2. The base model is made 

standard with minimal 

electronics – two riding modes 

(Road and Rain), ABS, and 

traction control, which is 

disengageable). 

3. In typical BMW fashion, riders 

can update the base models with 

Riding Modes Pro and get all the 

latest in savvy BMW electronics. 

This adds two additional riding 

modes (Dynamic and Dynamic 

Pro), “dynamic” traction control 

that provides other parameters 

for measuring loss of traction, 

and cornering ABS. New for 2020 

is the addition of what BMW calls 

“MSR”, an “engine drag torque 

control” that prevents the rear 

wheel from slipping as a result of 

abrupt throttling or downshifting. 

4. The chassis consists of a steel 

frame that uses the engine as 

a load-bearing element and 

positions the fuel tank in the 

standard place (not under the 

passenger seat as on the F 

GS series of yesteryears). The 

fuel tank is made from welded 

plastic – a first in this motorcycle 

brands history. 

5. The bolt-on steel rear frame 

has also been newly developed 

for the F 900 range. BMW says 

this helps created a visually short 

and slim rear. 

6. Suspension duties are 

handled by an upside-down 

43mm telescopic fork and a fully 

adjustable shock attached to a 

double-sided swingarm. 

7. BMW offers its electronic 

suspension as an option. This 

suspension, called “Dynamic 

ESA (electronic suspension 

adjustment), will control the 

riding experience through 

electronic damping of the rear 

strut’s spring. The bikes we rode 

all had ESA. 

8. The bikes we rode all had 

cornering lights, keyless ignition, 

up/down quickshifter, and an 

emergency call system. 

9. The F 900’s boast a 6.5- 

inch full-color TFT screen 

that can connect to the 

rider’s smartphone. From 

there the options are literally 

mindboggling. Go and look it up 

for yourself. 

10. Higher and lower seats are 

available. We used the standard 

ones and found them to be 

really comfy. 


OLD VS NEW: APRILIA RSV4 FACTORY’S 

FACTORY 

BATTLE 

“Rob, do you mind taking our Aprilia bikes for a test and 

let us know what you think...?” Now, you don’t have to be a 

genius to know what Rob’s answer to that question was. 

So here you go, a quick test on a 2016 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 

and a 2019 RSV4 1100 Factory around Redstar. 

Words: Rob Portman | Pics: Beam Productions 

While at Redstar Raceway 

recently to test Lance Isaac’s 

beast of a BMW race machine I 

bumped into Mr. Sean Powell 

from Aprilia SA who was at 

the track on the gorgeous 

new Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory 

machine. After gazing at the 

bike and not listening to a word 

Sean was saying for around 

5-minutes, I came around and 

started paying attention. A 

few minutes later the lucky 

customer who was going to 

test ride the new machine 

rocked up, a rider whom I had 

met a few years back who also 

owns a RSV4 Factory machine 

but the 2016 1000cc model. He 

was looking to upgrade and 

was given the chance to test 

ride the new machine by Aprilia 

SA. This got us thinking. “Rob, 

why not take my bike out and 

do a quick test against the new 

bike?”, asked the customer. 

“That sounds like a great idea”, 

naturally was my answer - I 

never pass up the opportunity 

to ride gorgeous Italian 

supermodels… one’s with two 

wheels that is… dirty minds you 

all have! 

So, I jumped onboard the 

customers well tricked out 2016 

model first. I’ve always enjoyed 

the riding position RSV models 

have offered over the years and 

felt right at home on this one 

again. Nice wide bars and deep 

set seating, but the footpegs 

did feel a bit higher than normal 

for me, but nothing I could not 

get around. Immediately I could 

feel that this bike has had some 

work done as the customary 

flat spot at bottom rpm was not 

there. Instead I was greeted by 

pure performance and power a 

plenty from bottom to top. The 

quickshifter and autoblip were 

divine while braking was as 

sharp as ever – it always is on 

Italian machines! 


It takes but a few mere laps 

to know that this was a properly 

setup machine and I enjoyed 

the bike out on track with no 

complaints to report. That was 

until I jumped on the new 1100 

factory machine. 

Power delivery and braking 

was not where I would feel a big 

difference, but rather more-so 

in the handling department. 

Donovan Fourie and myself 

tested the new RSV machines 

for the first time at the end 

of 2019 at Kyalami and were 

blown away by how quickly 

the front-end steers on the 

1100 factory machine and that 

feeling was once again felt here 

around the RSR track. It turns on 

a dime and holds its line better 

than any “off the showroom 

floor” machine I have ever 

tested. It honestly feels like a 

proper setup GP or Supersport 

600cc bike, just with plenty 

more stink once the throttle is 

opened. The dog bone section 

of the RSR track is a very tricky 

section and one where some 

people suffer from sea sickness 

as you are forced to go from 

left-to-right and back again 

in a matter of seconds. On the 

RSV4 1100 Factory this was a 

very simple and pleasurable 

exercise. No struggle, no 

hesitation, no convincing 

necessary - just point, SQUIRT 

and SMILE. Ok, that CAME out 

a bit wrong… that too, but you 

know what I mean. 

Needless to say, after 

the test both myself and 

the customer were left well 

satisfied after riding the new 

bike, and yes, it looks like the 

deal has been done and my 

mate is now the owner of the 

only 1100 Factory machine in 

the country so far. That is set 

to chance very soon, probably 

even as you read this with 

Aprilia SA set to receive their 

fresh new shipment of 2020 

models any second now. 

So, they say that third time’s 

a charm but I can tell you not 

on a new Aprilia. My first time 

was, and my second even 

more so. It does not take long 

to fall in love with the charm 

that exudes from an Aprilia 

machine, especially one like 

the new 1100 Factory with all 

that carbon fibre splashed all 

over and those gorgeous wings, 

which take you on a joyful 

flight of pure enjoyment and 

excitement. 

If you are keen on sampling 

a new Aprilia machine I suggest 

you get hold of Sean at Aprilia 

SA and book a test ride on the 

new 2020 range, which as I said 

are arriving any day now. Tel 

010 443 4596. 


Words: KTM Blog & Adam Wheeler | Pics: KTM Images 

HOW DO YOU GET 

READY FOR A 

MOTOGP 

BIKE? 

In a matter of a few weeks, Brad Binder will be able to 

answer the question that many race fans regularly have: 

what does it feel like to pin a MotoGP factory bike?! The 

South African chats about three ways in which he’ll get 

set for the challenge… 

Red Bull KTM MotoGP teams will 

field two rookies in 2020: Brad Binder 

and Iker Lecuona with the combined 

age of 43 years. Binder comes into 

the factory squad with a Moto3 world 

championship and fifteen Grand Prix 

victories in two categories to his name 

including five wins in Moto2 last year. 

The South African has earned his 

MotoGP shot thanks to his results, 

attitude and attacking riding style; 

something that paddock insiders seem 

to think will suit him well on the RC16 

and a motorcycle that Pol Espargaró 

aggressively throttled to 100 world 

championship points in 2019. 

Binder first threw his leg over the 

KTM Grand Prix bike at the summer 

test in the Czech Republic. The laps 

he made at the Brno circuit were like 

a preview for what he might have in 

store for 2020. At the Valencia and 

Jerez MotoGP tests in November 

the new #33 was able to deepen his 

appreciation for the 350kmph missile. 

Already an eight season ‘veteran’ of 

FIM world championship competition, 

Binder, who works between bases in 

Dubai and Spain, identified three areas 

in which he’s been focussing on to 

face the increase of speed, power and 

the best racers in the world. 

A PHYSICAL PRESENCE 

“I had my first taste of MotoGP 

at Brno last summer and I realized 

straight away that it is a lot harder on 

the forearms and also your heart rate 

goes a bit harder than in Moto2. I think 

generally it is something that will be a 

lot more physical but also something 

you get used to.” 

“I’d like to try and pick up a bit more 

muscle, and a bit more power for 

the new season can only help. Body 

weight is obviously an important 

factor in Moto3 and Moto2 but I can 

honestly say that I struggle to gain 

weight. I think it has a lot to do with 



“I’ve worked with a 

few different trainers 

and lately I’ve been 

using the same guy 

that trained other 

MotoGP riders and 

have learned a good 

few pointers.” 

the amount of cardio I do but also how much I 

eat. Normally my heaviest point comes when 

I start riding in February: I want to start the 

season like that because when races go on I 

start to lose it.” 

“I don’t worry about training that much 

because it is something I take very seriously, 

and I do it very hard. I love cycling. I don’t do 

some of the insane mileage like the other 

riders, but I enjoy getting out on the bicycle and 

will mix it up between road and the enduro 

bicycle. You can do downhill loops and still 

peddle back to the top. I’m doing just as much 

if not more than anyone else and I know 

physically I’m very lucky because I’ve always 

felt just as strong at the end of the races, more 

than my competitors from what I see on the 

track. For sure this year will be a different story! 

There you are with the elite guys I suppose.” 

I’ve worked with a few different trainers and 

lately I’ve been using the same guy that trained 

other MotoGP riders and have learned a good 

few pointers. I want to learn as much as I can 

from everybody and make a program that 

suits me. I’m sure there is room to improve. I’ve 

spoken to Pit [Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director] 

about working with Aldon Baker [famed South 

African Supercross/motocross trainer] and I 

think we’ll get around to it at some point. I did 

go to the Red Bull diagnostic training center 

recently with the other guys [riders] and that 

was an eye-opener. It is impressive how they 

can tailor special plans to the smallest detail.” 


A CHANGE OF TECHNIQUE 

“I just need to ride the thing a bit more!” 

“Brno was very much a ‘get your feet wet’ situation. I 

have a lot to learn but I don’t want to think about it too 

much. I always believe that if you over-think things or 

have expectations that end up not existing then it’s 

only negative. Better to try and then work out what 

you need to do and to change.” 

“MotoGP will mean keeping an open mind. Taking it 

one day at a time. You can almost try and ‘jump-start’ 

situations but then you can also go a bit mad. In 2019 

I made big improvements and my riding was much 

better. Moto2 was hard at the beginning and that was 

mainly because of my arm; it was buggered for six 

months basically. Once it started to feel normal again 

then I started to find my way.” 

“I’m sure electronics will be a big factor and getting 

my head around all that stuff. Learning to find set-up 

and how to save the tyre; that’s not something you 

have to worry about too much in Moto2. It is allguns-blazing 

from lap one until the end. We had more 

electronic options in Moto2 last year but, to be honest, 

I don’t know too much about them: I turned them off!” 

MINDFUL OF THE MINDSET 

“First of all, I don’t want to repeat what I did in the 

past: trying to make everything happen at once. That’s 

how I ended up hurting myself, by pushing for too 

much too soon. We are working through everything in 

testing and I need to take advantage of it.” 

“I know I’ll be starting nearer the back of the grid, 

especially compared to what I achieved in Moto2, 

but that’s definitely not where I am going to end up. 

I believe that if you work at something hard enough 

“MotoGP will mean keeping an open 

mind. Taking it one day at a time. You can 

almost try and ‘jump-start’ situations 

but then you can also go a bit mad.” 


then there is every chance you will improve and 

that is how I have been throughout my career. 

I’ve never started by being the fastest guy in the 

beginning…but I got there in the end.” 

“I wouldn’t say I’m a patient guy – by any 

means – but I do believe that you have to aim at 

progression. If you are just looking at results then 

it can send you mad, but if you just try and tick 

off little things every single day then you’ll end 

up getting there. In a way it is quite simple: ride 

the bike and tell them what I think and I guess the 

team does the rest. For sure it will be a hundred 

times more technical…but I just want to try and 

keep it simple to do my job.” 

“I’m excited about being on track with 

those riders we all know about. I think it will be 

awesome. I remember shouting at the TV for Rossi 

when I was a little kid, way before I knew what 

MotoGP was just because my Dad cheering him 

on…so to line-up against legends of the sport will 

be an incredible feeling.” 

“I’m quite an easy-going guy so I don’t think the 

extra duties of being a factory rider will bother me 

too much. I know there will be extra attention and 

back home is pretty insane. When I travel back to 

South Africa I always have a solid week of media 

work every day but it has to be done suppose!” 

“I’m excited about being on track with 

those riders we all know about. I think it 

will be awesome. I remember shouting at 

the TV for Rossi when I was a little kid...” 


FUN UNDER THE SUN! 

Words: Rob Portman 

Pics: Beam Productions & Eugene Liebenberg 

MONOCLE SERIES ROUND 1: REDSTAR RACEWAY 

Finally, it was back on track as 

round 1 of the 2020 Monocle 

Series kicked off at Redstar 

Raceway with over 180 riders 

lining up on the various grids. 

Riders of every shape, size, 

age and gender was present 

with riders as young as 12 

years right up to 75 taking part 

in the 9 classes available in 

the series. 

The days racing action 

started off with the frantic 

300 Supersport class which 

saw talented youngster Chris 

Wright pick up both wins on 

the day and the full 50 points 

on offer on his Yamaha R3. 

Chris was pushed hard in both 

races by the fastest mother in 

the world Nicole Van Aswegen 

in her Kawasaki Ninja 400. 

Clinton Fourie continued his 

development with a 3rd place 

overall for the day. 

The ever expanding 

Streetbike class was on 

track next and for 2020 

the grid has been split into 

two categories - Streetbike 

Elite and Streetbike, now 

catering for the slightly faster 

newcomers to track racing and 

the complete newbies. 

It was 2019 champ and SA 

cage fighter Colin Hume who 

picked up both wins in the Elite 

class ahead of Marlo Ferreria, 

both on BMW S1000RR 

rockets, while up and coming 

youngster Tiaan Fouche ended 

up and impressive 3rd on his 

Yamaha R6. 

Ewoud Pienaar picked the 

overall win in the Streetbike 

class ahead of Henk Kruger 

and Donovan Moolman. 

The most illustrious and 

greatest class to ever grace 

the circuits in SA was up next. 

The BOTTS, which is now a 

combination of V Twin and V4 

machines thunderous sound 

exploded the RSR track and 

Delmas town. It was our own 

Shaun Portman on our Ducati 

SA/World of Motorcycles 

V4 racer who took both wins 

on the day just holding off 

the challenge from Brian 

Bontekoning in race one who 

pushed him all the way to the 

line. Race two was a bit easier 

for Shaun with the absence of 

Brian who crashed out of the 

lead in the Masters Class and 

was forced out for the rest 

of the day. That left current 

champ Alan Hulscher in 2nd 

overall with former multiple 

champ Thomas Brown in 3rd. 

In the Masters class, it was 

Johnny Krieger on his World 

of Carbon BMW S1000RR 

who took both wins ahead of 

Suzuki GSXR1000 mounted 

The very talented 

Chris Wright 

Young Hunter Dreyer 

first time out in the 

300cc class

Louwrens Bardenhorst and the 

ever-improving Michael Barth on 

his Kawasaki ZX10R. 

The Dunlop SA TT Classic riders 

were up next and in the F1 class it 

was Dunlop D213 shod AJ Venter 

who picked up the win ahead of 

2019 champ Paul Jacobs and James 

Barson. The F2 class saw Fergal 

McAdmas take 1st overall ahead 

of British based SA rider Philip 

Atkinson and Mike McSkimming. 

Onto the most exciting and 

action-packed classes of the day 

where over 25 1000cc Superbike 

and 600cc Supersport machines 

lined up to do battle with some of 

SA’s finest going head-to-head. AJ 

Venter on his Lekka Racing Suzuki 

GSXR1000 machine was pushed 

hard in both heats by Morne 

Geldenhuys on his Yamaha R1. Too 

National rider Garrick Flok was 

also in the mix along with Dylan 

Barnard and Damion Purificati. 

It was AJ in the end who took 

both wins in the SBK class with 

Geldenhuys settling for 2nd and 

Purificati in 3rd. Our editor Rob 

Portman ended up 4th overall in 

the Ducati SA V4 racer. More on 

that in the following pages. 

The Supersport 600cc battle 

was in true style spectacular with 

top youngsters Jared Schultz and 

Riccardo Otto. Cape Town star and 

Spanish Supersport bound Schultz 

took the overall win ahead of Otto 

with the very impressive 2019 

Supersport 300 champion, Ryno 

Pretorius in 3rd in his first outing in 

the 600cc class. 

It was a spectacular days racing 

with plenty of smiles throughout. 

Round 2 heads down to the Aldo 

Scribante track in PE on the 7th of 

March with round 3 taking place 

at Phakisa on the 9th of May. 

For more information check out 

the Monocle Motorcycle Series 

Facebook page or website www. 

motorcycleracingseries.co.za. 

Exciting 

Announcement!!! 

Pirelli and Monocle 

have partnered for the 

remainder of the 2020 

race season. 

Pirelli is proud to be partnered 

with the well supported and 

professional series, and look 

forward to the rest of 2020 season; 

there are a couple things that you 

Taric van der 

Merwe 

need to know going forward: 

• Pirelli will be the only tyre that is 

allowed to be sold at the events 

themselves from Friday to Saturday 

for race meetings. 

• Lekka Racing is the official race 

tyre fitment service for the race 

weekends, and part of the Pirelli 

service will be the free fitment of all 

Pirelli tyres, and will have Pirelli’s 

for sale on the day. 

• Other tyre vendors selling Pirelli 

are welcome to join, however they 

cannot offer fitment on the day, but 

Lekka racing will fit for free. 

• Special pricing for Monocle racers 

only will be offered. Deals will be 

released shortly on the Monocle 

Facebook page. 

The battle at the front of the 

SBK 1000cc class. 

Ducati boss man 

Jos Matthysen 

Ewoud Pienaar in the 

Streetbike class 

Chris-Marie 

Schlebusch

SO GOOD IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE CHEATING 

DUNLOP TYRES – PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY HENDERSON RACING PRODUCTS 

DUCATI V4 RACER 

OUR FIRST OFFICIAL RACEDAY ON THE PANIGALE V4 RACER. 

The day had finally come for 

us to race our new Ducati SA/ 

World of Motorcycles V4 racer. 

As you can see by the pics, it 

was not dolled up in its normal 

flash red Ducati colours, but 

rather a plain white kit. This 

was due to a slight oopsy daisy 

we had a few weeks prior with 

the bike, which needed a lot of 

attention and time from master 

tech Zoki to be made race ready. 

He managed to pull it off 

and rolling it out on the Friday 

practice for the first time 

we noticed one or two small 

gremlins that were quickly 

sorted out by Zoki. The rest 

of Friday practice went really 

well with both myself and my 

bro setting really good times 

and finding a setup we were 

both comfortable with. For 

the 2020 season we would 

once again be racing the same 

bike on the same tyres so we 

needed tyres that could last 

but more importantly gave us 

enough grip to be competitive. 

Dunlop SA came on board and 

supported us with their D213 

Pro4 compound, the perfect 

solution for both grip and 

longevity. We found out on the 

Friday practice that they were 

perfect as both grip and wear 

were perfect. 

Come Saturday race day 

myself, my brother, and 

our Ducati V4 1100 race 

machine were ready. Shaun 

will be racing in the BOTTS 

championship for the season 

looking to wrap up his first big 

bike title while I will be taking 

on the ultra-competitive SBK 

1000cc class. Why not take 

on the BOTTS and make my 

younger brother deal with the 

SBK racers? Simple really, I 

don’t have the stomach or liver 

to handle the alcohol abuse 

I would get from the BOTTS 

guys. I have done a BOTTS race 

before and let’s just say my 

liver is still not talking to me. 

So, I decided to throw my 

brother into the fun, exciting, 

party hard BOTTS class and 

what an introduction it turned 

out to be for him and our new 

Ducati racer. With a big belly 

full of nerves, Shaun managed 

to put the bike on pole position 

for both races. He then had 

probably the worst start I 

have ever seen from any 

racer in race one and found 

himself back in about 1990. 

He managed to fight his way 

through the field and onto the 

back end of early race leader 

Brian Bontekoning. The twobattled 

hard for a few laps and 

Shaun made the perfect move 

heading into the final lap. Brian 

pushed him all the way to the 

final turn where Shaun just 

managed to squeeze him out, 

taking the win by a mere 0.198. 

Both riders set their fastest 

laps of the race on the last lap, 

Brian on a 1,58.426 just slightly 

quicker than Shaun’s 1,58.524. 

Race two was a bit easier 

for Shaun with the absence of 

Brian after his big crash in the 

Masters race. Again, Shaun got 

a terrible start but this time only 

found himself back in 1995. He 

again fought through the field 

and once he got to the front 

consolidated his lead on what 

was a slightly underperforming 

Ducati. The gear position 

sensor had failed meaning the 

electronics were a bit out of 

sync, which did make the bike 

a bit harder to ride but Shaun 

managed to hold onto the win 

and picked up all 50 points on 

offer for the day and now takes a 

solid lead into round two in PE, a 

track he has only ridden on once 

a very long time ago so it’s not 

going to be easy down there. 

As for me, it was a very 

busy weekend as not only was 

I racing but was also handling 

commentary for the track 

and the live to Facebook feed 

courtesy of Raceday TV. The 

coverage was amazing and big 

thanks to Keith Botha and the 

rest of the team from Raceday 

TV for the amazing coverage 

and to all the sponsors who 

came on board. Go check out 

the coverage on the Raceday 

TV FB page or on their YouTube 

channel. 

I managed to set a good 

qualifying time of 1,57.9, which 

saw me down in 10th place 

on the combined 600cc and 

1000cc grid. The start of the 

first heat was frantic with 

handlebar bashing a plenty 

heading into a cement dust 

filled turn one. In the race 

before us, one of the Classsic 

bikes put some oil down so 

track conditions were not 

ideal for us hard charging 

testosterone filled maniacs. 

I managed to sneak in with 

the leading group out front 

and was feeling very racy 

on our then spot on feeling 

Ducati machine with Dunlop 

D213 tyres fitted. My feeling 

would quickly be interrupted 

as the race was stopped due 

to a big crash from Tyrone 

Piper heading into the tight 

90 degree left hander. The 

decision was then made to 

move the first heat to after the 

Supersport 300 race two as to 

try and help clean up the track. 

My race one re-start was 

shocking as I was not present 

in the meeting where it was 

decided to use a flag start due 

to load shedding. So, there I 

was on the line waiting for 

the lights to go on-and-off 


meanwhile it was a flag start. 

So, just like Shaun I found 

myself back in 1990. I had to 

battle through and did so on 

the first couple of laps before 

I started feeling the bike give 

trouble. On lap 4 the quickshifter 

and autoblip stopped working, 

and all kinds of things started 

flashing up on the gorgeous 

V4’s dash. I knew it was nothing 

motor related, so decided to 

push on and finish the race. I did 

so in 5th place, losing out on 4th 

to Luca Bertolini on the last lap. 

Race two and the decision 

was made to use Ducati boss 

man Jos’ V4S machine, with 

number plate and all. I would 

only get 1 warm-up lap before 

having to go gung-ho on a 

machine I had no time on. 

My start was ok and credit to 

the V4S as after only a few 

corners I felt right at home and 

comfortable. This allowed me 

to push a bit harder every lap 

and I soon found myself in good 

company dicing it out for 5th 

place once again after having to 

start at the back of the grid for 

changing bikes between races. 

After the demise of a couple of 

riders ahead I managed to hold 

onto a hard fought 4th place 

on the stock V4S machine, a 

testament to just how good it is, 

electronic suspension and all. 

I’ve never been a huge admirer 

of ES but must say this race did 

convince me a bit. 

So, in the end I had to settle 

for 4th overall for the day in the 

1000cc class just off the podium, 

while Shaun went up proudly 

to top spot to receive his shiny 

new trophy. Yes, he won and I 

finished 4th but the first rule of 

racing is to beat your teammate, 

and even more so if your 

team-mate is your brother. I 

managed to do this by setting a 

faster time than him on the day 

so once again I am the faster 

brother, just saying. 

Sadly, I will not be present for 

round 2 as I will be at the Qatar 

MotoGP race supporting our 

boys Brad and Darryn Binder. 

Shaun will be down in PE flying 

the flag for our team so look 

out on FB for how it goes or 

just read next month’s issue 

where we will bring the full race 

report. We might even be on a 

more “R”acier machine from PE 

onwards. Let’s see…. 

We will also be showing off 

some new sponsors who have 

come on board for the rest of 

the season. Big thanks to Rich 

Racing, Cre8works, Ridgeway 

Racebar, Wink Promotions, 

Africa United Sports 

Construction and Smashton 

Industries for supporting us 

going forward. We look forward 

to representing your brands. 

MO MAHOPE SHINES 

AGAIN ON HER DUCATI 

Lady rider Mo Mahope 

continued her progression 

on her Ducati SA/World 

of Motorcycles Ducati V4 

machine with some more 

solid performances at 

round 1 of the Monocle 

Series and Bridgestone 

Challenge races. 

Her first race of the 

season took place on 

Saturday the 1st Feb at RSR 

where she again showed 

her class by finishing in 

10th place in race one of 

the BOTTS class and a 

stunning 8th in race two. 

The very next day 

she and her Ducati V4 

machine headed to 

Zwartkops to take part in 

the Bridgestone Challenge 

races. She managed 9th 

place in race one and found 

extra pace in race two 

finishing 6th. That gave her 

4th overall for the day. 

Mo has now traded in 

her V4 Panigale for the new 

V2 959cc V-Twin version, 

which she will no doubt go 

even better on and we look 

forward to showcasing her 

progression over the rest 

of the season. 


SA SBK SERIES ROUND 1 ZWARTKOPS 

Words & pics: Paul Bedford 

Double delight for 

David McFadden and 

the 2020 Yamaha R1. 

MCFLASH IS BACK! 

Last year Zwartkops 

Raceway wasn’t kind to 

David McFadden, with a 

sixth-place the best he 

could manage in all of the 

rounds he competed in. 

He didn’t let that worry 

him at the opening round 

of the 2020 SA Superbike 

Championship held at 

Zwartkops Raceway on 

Sunday, 2 February. The 

Cape Town-based rider 

piloted his 2020 RPM 

Center/Stunt SA Yamaha R1 

to two wins on its debut. In 

the SuperSport 600 class, 

Dino Iozzo (King Price 

Xtreme Yamaha R6) wasn’t 

threatened on his way to 

two comfortable victories. 

It was defending champion 

Clint Seller (King Price Xtreme 

Yamaha R1) who was quickest in 

the morning qualifying session, 

albeit just 0.012” ahead of Lance 

Isaacs who was out for the 

first time on his new Superbets 

BMW Motorrad S1000RR. 

McFadden, who was just over a 

tenth further back, completed 

the front row. Garrick Vlok 

(Yamaha R1) headed the second 

row of the grid with the Hi-Tech 

Racing Kawasakis of Sheridan 

Morias and Byron Bester 

alongside him. 

Jared Schultz, who will also 

be competing in Spain this year, 

put his ASAP/FFC Yamaha R6 on 

pole, also just 0.012” ahead of 

his closest rival, Iozzo. Ricardo 

Otto (Otto Racing Yamaha R6) 

and newcomer Brett Roberts 

(Lights by Linea/RPM Center 

Yamaha R6) filled third and 

fourth places. 

A slow start to the first race 

by Isaacs, which dropped him 

down to fifth place, allowed 

Seller and McFadden to pull 

away at the front of the pack 

with Seller pushing hard to try 

to open up a gap. Unfortunately 

for him, he pushed a bit too 

hard and the Bridgestone tyre 

on the front of his Yamaha cried 

enough, leaving the defending 

champion in the gravel on 

the outside of turn 5. This left 

McFadden with a lead of just 

more than a second over Vlok, 

but it was Isaacs who was the 

Champ Clint Seller’s 

got his work cut out 

this year. 


Great seeing Shez 

Morais back in SA. 

Plenty more 

to come from 

Isaacs and the 

new BMW. 

Dino Iozzo in 

fine form. 

man on the move. By the end 

of the third lap, he was up to 

second, and just a couple of 

laps later was on McFadden’s 

back wheel. The pair then diced 

to the finish, with Isaacs trying 

everything he could to get to 

the front, but McFadden was 

able to hang on to take a hardfought 

win. Isaacs had to settle 

for second, comfortable ahead 

of Vlok with Morias and Bester 

in fourth and fifth. 

Iozzo grabbed the 

SuperSport 600 lead from the 

start leaving Schultz and Otto to 

fight over the remaining podium 

positions after Roberts suffered 

front brake failure. While Iozzo 

slowly extended his lead at the 

front, Otto led Schultz with the 

pair never more than a couple 

of bike lengths apart until about 

two-thirds race distance. A 

small error by Schultz allowed 

Otto to open the gap and 

Schultz decided to settle for 

third on his ill-handling Yamaha. 

In the early stages, Race 2 

was a repeat of the first at the 

front of the 1000cc class, with 

Seller leading the way from 

McFadden, although a better 

start by Isaacs saw him just 

behind the leading duo. Seller’s 

bike was doing its best to throw 

him off as the tyres battled 

for grip on the extremely hot 

track surface which allowed 

McFadden to move into the lead 

a third of the way through the 

heat. He went on to another 

win while Seller, despite the 

handling problems with his 

bike, was able to keep Isaacs 

behind him until the flag. Vlok 

had a huge crash while running 

in fourth, which allowed Morias 

and Bester to end in fourth and 

fifth as they did in the first race. 

While Iozzo’s winning margin 

wasn’t quite as big in the second 

heat, he was still comfortably 

ahead of the second-place man 

after leading from the start. 

Schultz was much happier with 

the handling of his Yamaha 

after some hard work by his 

pit crew between races and, 

while he couldn’t hang on to 

Iozzo, was comfortably ahead 

of the battle for the final podium 

position. Roberts led that battle 

at the start of the final lap, but 

experience told as Otto made his 

move in the final corner to take 

the final podium position by less 

than a quarter of a second. 

The next round of the 

Bridgestone supported SA 

Superbike series takes place on 

Saturday, 14 March 2020, again 

at Zwartkops Raceway. 


BUYER’S GUIDE 

SELLING 

YOUR BIKE? 

MODEL PRICE MODEL PRICE MODEL 

PRICE 

RSV4 RR 1000 R297,500 Monster 797 

R138,300 

RSV4 RR 1100 Factory R398,500 Monster 821 

R173,100 

Tuono V4 1100 

Tuono V4 1100 Factory 

RSV4 1100 FACTORY 

G 310 R 

G 310 GS 

C 400 X Scooter 

C 400 GT Scooter 

F 750 GS 

F 850 GS 

F 850 GS Adventure 

R 1250 GS 

R 1250 GS Adventure 

R 1250 R 

R 1250 RS 

R 1250 RT 

R NineT Pure 

R NineT 

R NineT Scrambler 

R NineT Urban GS 

R NineT Racer 

K 1600 GT 

K 1600 GTL 

K 1600 B 

S 1000 R 

S 1000 RR Red 

S 1000 RR M Sport 

HP4 Race 

APRILIA 

DUCATI 

BMW 

R258,000 Monster 821 Stealth R184,700 

R288,000 Monster 1200 

R209,900 

Monster 1200 S 

R245,600 

Monster 1200 R 

Monster 1200 Black 

R257,900 

R248,600 

Hypermotard 950 

R194,100 

Hypermotard 950 SP R230,900 

Supersport 

Supersport S 

R192,200 

R216,200 

Multistrada 950 

R207,900 

R69,300 Multistrada 950 S 

R253,200 

R80,400 

Multistrada 1260 

R232,000 

R125,000 Multistrada 1260 S R284,700 

R136,000 Multistrada 1260 Enduro R283,400 

R190,500 Multistrada Pikes Peak R345,300 

R202,500 Multistrada Grand Tour R312,900 

R223,300 

Diavel 1260 

R279,900 

R269,300 

R288,900 

Diavel 1260 S 

X Diavel 

R313,900 

R295,900 

R212,000 

X Diavel S 

R339,900 

R227,000 

959 Panigale 

R229,900 

R252,400 

R175,300 

959 Panigale Corse 

Panigale V2 

R264,900 

R255,900 

R196,700 

Panigale V4 base 

R334,800 

R204,000 

Panigale V4 S 

R399,900 

R180,350 Panigale V4 Speciale R669,900 

R180,200 Panigale V4 R (2019) R669,900 

R288,700 Panigale V4 25° 916 R720,000 

R311,900 Panigale Superleggera R1,690m 

R348,100 1299 Panigale R FE R669,900 

R213,600 Streetfighter V4 

R292,900 

R311,400 Streetfighter V4 S 

R342,900 

R352,400 

R1,3m 

STREETFIGHTER V4 

Sixty 2 Scrambler 

Icon Scrambler 

R119,500 

R144,900 

Full Throttle Scrambler R172,900 

Classic Scrambler 

R164,900 

Desert Sled Scrambler R187,900 

Cafe Racer 

R187,900 

1100 Scrambler 

R199,900 

1100 Scrambler Special R216,900 

1100 Scrambler Sport R230,900 

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 

Street 750 

Street Rod 

R109,000 

R120,000 

Iron 1200 

R153,000 

Superlow 

R147,500 

Iron 833 

1200 Custom 

R151,500 

R163,900 

Superlow 1200T 

R169,000 

FortyEight Special 

R163,000 

FortyEight 

Roadster 

R163,000 

R171,500 

StreetBob 

R191,000 

LowRider 

R218,500 

Deluxe 

Sport Glide 

R276,900 

R234,500 

Fat Bob 

R229,500 

Fat Bob 114 

R263,000 

Soft Tail Slim 

R249,900 

Fat Boy 

R280,500 

Fat Boy 114 

R316,500 

Brak Out 114 

R316,000 

Break Out 

Heritage Classic 114 

R281,000 

R319,500 

Heritage Classic 

R286,900 

Ultra Limited Low 

R385,000 

Road King 

R323,500 

Road King Classic 

R281,000 

Road King Classic 

R323,500 

Road King Special 

R344,500 

Street Glide 

R354,000 

92 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 

Prices may change so please contact local dealer.

FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA! 

WE PAY INSTANTLY, WE COLLECT, WE COME TO YOU! 

www.fireitup.co.za 

MODEL PRICE MODEL 

PRICE MODEL 

PRICE 

Street Glide Special 

Road Glide Special 

Road Glide 

Road Glide Ultra 

Ultra Limited 

CVO Street Glide 

CVO Limited 

Free Wheeler 

TRI Glide Ultra 

FXDR114 

HONDA 

ACE 125 

Elite 125 Scooter 

NC750X 

NC750X DCT 

Africa Twin 1100 Manual 

Africa Twin 1100 DCT 

Africa Twin 1100 AS Man 

Africa Twin 1100 AS ES 

XR190 

XR150L 

XR125L 

CRF250L 

CRF250 Rally 

CBR 1000 RR 2019 

CBR 1000 RR-R 2020 

CBR 1000 RR-R SP 2020 

GL1800 Goldwing M 

GL 1800 Goldwinh DCT 

HUSQVARNA 

R371,000 

R375,000 

R355,000 

R379,000 

R385,000 

R510,000 

R544,000 

R407,000 

R514,000 

R299,900 

R24,300 

R23,399 

R114,480 

R123,120 

R210,000 

R222,499 

R236,000 

R269,000 

R49,620 

R32,960 

R30,000 

R74,999 

R85,000 

R209,999 

TBA 

TBA 

R367,000 

R432,200 

FS 450 

R122,699 

701 Enduro 

R141,699 

701 Supermotard 

R141,699 

Vitpilen 401 

R89,699 

Svartpilen 401 

R89,699 

Vitpilen 701 

R129,699 

Svartpilen 701 

R149,699 

FTR 1200 

FTR 1200 Race Replica 

Scout Sixty 

Scout 1133 

Scout Bobber 

Chief Dark Horse 

Chief Classic 

Chief Vintage 

Springfield 

Springfield Darkhorse 

Chieftan Dark Horse 

Chieftan 

Roadmaster 

Z300 

Z400 ABS 

Ninja 400 ABS 

Z650 

Z900 ABS 

Z900 RS 

Z900 Cafe Racer 

Z1000R 

Z1000SX 

Ninja 650 

Versys X300 

Versys 650 

Versys 1000 

ZX10R WSB 2018 

ZX10R WSB 2019 

H2 SX SE 

ZZR1400 Ohlins 

NINJA H2 SX SE 

INDIAN 

KAWASAKI 

R209,900 125 DUKE 

R58,999 

R269,900 RC125 

R59,999 

R169,900 390 DUKE 

R76,999 

R199,900 RC390 

R74,999 

R199,900 

R299,900 

R419,900 

R379,900 

R389,900 

R369,900 

R399,900 

R399,900 

R449,900 

R61,995 

R79,995 

R86,995 

R110,995 

R145,995 

R175,995 

R168,995 

R179,995 

R179,995 

R122,995 

R85,995 

R115,995 

R159,995 

R229,995 

R259,995 

R310,995 

390 Adventure 

790 DUKE 

790 Adventure 

790 Adventure R 

690 Enduro R 

890 DUKE 

1090 Adventure R 

1290 Super ADV S 

1290 Super ADV R 

1290 SuperDuke R (2019) 

1290 SuperDuke R (2020) 

1290 SUPER DUKE R 

Agility RS 125 

Like 125l ABS 

G-Dink 300l 

Xciting 400l 

AK550 

KTM 

KYMCO 

MOTO GUZZI 

TBA 

R149,999 

R179,999 

R185,999 

R152,999 

TBA 

R198,999 

R234,999 

R239,999 

R229,999 

TBA 

R19,950 

R34,950 

R54,950 

R99,950 

R154,950 

R249,995 V85 TT 

R209,000 

California 1400 Touring R405,000 

MGX 21 Flying Fortress R489,000 

V7 Stone lll ABS 

R171,150 

V7 Rough 

R175,875 

V7 Milano 

R191,625 

V7 Carbon lll 

R201,950 

V7 lll Racer 

R208,950 

Prices may change so please contact local dealer. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 93

SELLING YOUR BIKE? FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA! 

WE PAY INSTANTLY, WE COLLECT, WE COME TO YOU! 

www.fireitup.co.za 

MODEL PRICE MODEL PRICE MODEL 

PRICE 

Dragster Pirelli LE 

Dragster 800RR 

Dragster 800 RC Limited 

Super Veloce 800RR 

Brutale 1000RR 208HP 

RUSH 1000RR 212hp 

MV AGUSTA 

Turismo Veloce 800 160HP 

R329,900 

R299,900 

R359,900 

R379,900 

R479,900 

R549,900 

R299,900 

GTS 300l EV 

Max Sym 600l ABS 

Crox 125 

Fiddle ll 150 

Jet14 200 

Orbit ii 125 

Symphony 150 

X-Pro 125 

R63,995 

R98,995 

R17,995 

R17,495 

R23,995 

R14,995 

R19,995 

R18,995 

FJR1300 

XMax 300 Scooter 

YZF R3 

YZF R6 

YZF R1 2020 

YZF R1M 2020 

Niken 3-wheeler 

NIKEN 3-WHEELER 

R229,950 

R89,950 

R78,950 

R209,950 

R319,950 

R399,950 

R275,000 

SUPERVELOCE 800 

TRIUMPH 

Street Triple RS 

R170,000 

Speed Triple RS 

R219,000 

Street Twin 

R144,000 

Bonneville T100 

R145,000 

Bonneville T120 

R169,000 

Bonneville Bobber 

R169,000 

Bonneville Bobber Black 

R184,000 

UR110 

UB125 

GS150 

GSX150F 

DL650XA L9 

DL1000XA L9 

SV650A 

SUZUKI 

R17,950 

R19,950 

R27,800 

R32,900 

R124,900 

R172,900 

R99,500 

Bonneville Speed Master 

Street Scrambler 

Thruxton 1200 R 

Tiger 800 XCX 

Tiger 800 XCA 

Tiger 1200 XCX 

Tiger 1200 XCA 

Tiger 900 

Tiger 900 Rally Pro 

Rocket R 

R179,000 

R169,000 

R192,000 

R186,000 

R205,000 

R226,000 

R260,000 

R192,000 

R215,000 

R299,000 

ZT250 R 

ZT310R 

ZT310X 

ZT310T 

ZONTES 

R44,900 

R63,900 

R68,900 

R74,900 

DEALERS CONTACTS WHO 

ADVERTISE WITH US 

GSXR750 L9 

GSXR1000 L9 

GSXS1000 R L9 

GSXS1000 L9 

Katana 

VZR1800 

Hyabusa 1300 

XS125 K Delivery 

NH125 

XS200 Blaze 

XS200 Trail Blaze 

Citycom 300l 

SYM 

R161,950 

R271,900 

R327,500 

R162,500 

R187,500 

R194,900 

R211,900 

R16,495 

R25,995 

R18,495 

R19,995 

R54,995 

Rocket GT 

XTZ125 

YBR125G 

TW200 

XT250 

XT1200Z 

XT1200ZE 

MT07 ABS 

MT09 ABS 

MT07 Tracer 

MT09 Tracer 

MT09 Tracer GT 

YAMAHA 

R315,000 

R35,950 

R28,950 

R59,950 

R69,950 

R194,950 

R228,950 

R124,950 

R152,950 

R144,950 

R159,950 

R189,950 

Aprilia SA (IMI) Tel: 010 443 4596 

BMW West Rand Tel: 011 761 3500 

SMG Motorrad Umhlanga Tel: 031 502 9800 

SMG Motorrad Noth Coast Tel: 035 426 0020 

Daly Motorrad Klerksdorp Tel: 018 011 1888 

Ducati SA Tel: 012 765 0600 

Honda East Tel: 011 826 4444 

Holeshot Husqvarna Tel: 011 823 5830 

Indian Motorcycles SA Tel: 010 020 6195 

TRD Kawasaki Tel: 011 051 9104 

Fire it Up Kawasaki Tel: 011 467 0737 

RAD KTM Tel: 011 234 5007 

TRAX KTM Tel: 012 111 0190 

KTM Centurion Tel: 012 643 1110 

Moto Guzzi SA (IMI) Tel: 010 443 4596 

Fire it Up MV Agusta Tel: 011 467 0737 

KCR Suzuki Tel: 011 975 5545 

SYM TRD Motorcycles Tel: 011 051 9104 

Zontes SA Tel: 012 565 6730 

94 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 

Prices may change so please contact local dealer.

PUSHING BRAKES TO THE LIMIT! 

Brake pads are fundamental elements in any brake system because they are directly responsible for transmitting the power of the 

caliper to the brake disc so that it can overpower the brake pads without strain. Galfer has developed specifics compounds for each 

use and motorcycle model looking to offer the top performances in all type of riding and for all the profiles and needs of users. 

FEATURES: • Powerful, progressive & modular brake • Low wear rate and minimum noise • Maximum resistance to the fade effect 

• Efficiency in wet conditions • No wear on brake disc 

G1054 

Semi metal compound 

• Great feel and modulation for OEM 

brake pad replacement. 

• Long lasting brake pad and very little 

rotor wear. 

• Good in wet and/or dry conditions. 

• Overall a very versatile brake pad 

compound for almost every need. 

RANDY 

KRUMMENACHER 

2019 WORLD 

SUPERSPORT CHAMPION 

G1370 

Sinter compound 

• For moderately aggressive every day and 

sport street riding. 

• Advanced ceramic composites ready 

to withstand higher temperatures than 

regular semi-metallic carbon brake pads. 

• HH friction rated compounds deliver 

excellent feel and modulation. 

G1375 

Sinter Sport compound 

• For moderately aggressive every day and sport street/ 

track riding with ceramic coated backing plate to assist 

with temperature management and dissipate heat. 

• Advanced ceramic composites ready to withstand 

higher temperatures than regular semi-metallic 

carbon brake pads. 

• HH friction rated compounds deliver excellent feel 

and modulation. 

• Brake pads do not fade. 

G1300 

Full GP Spec. Competition only 

Carbon Ceramic hybrid pad intended for race use only. Same 

pads as our race teams use, designed to withstand extreme 

racing temperatures without losing feel. Race team tested 

and proven! Precision made in our Galfer factory in Spain. 

Trade Enquiries: (011) 672-6599 

Email: info@trickbitz.co.za 

Enquire at your local dealer 

Office Hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm 

www.trickbitz.co.za

DUNLOP 

DOMINATES! 

SA TT CLASSIC & MONOCLE SERIES 

SBK 1000 BOTTS 

CLASSICS 

STREET BIKES 

CHOOSE THE WINNING FORMULA 

YOU + DUNLOP D213 PRO 4 

“This tyre outplays and outlasts them all” 

AJ Venter - SBK & Classic class winner 

Available through LEKKA Racing. 

Contact LEKKA Racing now on to get your hands on the class winning tyre. 

Tel: 011 238 7666 or email ajventer@lekka-racing.co.za 

S594/A 

DUNLOPTYRESSA 

Get a Grip on 2020! Email Nicole Swanepoel at 

nicole.swanepoel@srigroup.co.za or contact our call centre on 011 418 3088.

RideFast Magazine March 2020

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?